Ahiru's True Form
by Madonnalal
Summary: Fakir realizes a loophole at the last second of the Finale. Could this mean the happy ending that we were all hoping for? Or will this be the ultimate betrayal of trust? *Chapter 9 Updated*
1. Chapter 1

Title: Ahiru's True Form

Author: Madonnalal

Pairing: A/F, M/R (insinuated)

Genre: Romance/Drama and a good measure of angst

Disclaimer: I'm not exactly sure who owns Princess Tutu, but I envy them. The writers of PT have amazing brains. I wonder if they will let me borrow them sometimes…?

Summary: Fakir realizes a loophole at the last second of the final battle. Could this be the happy ending that we all hoped for or a travesty against nature? (I'm actually not sure, I'm kinda playing this by ear)

Even though Fakir was removed from the action of the story in a dimly lit room, scribbling away at his last ruined scraps of paper, he could see the events of the story just a clearly as if he was there.

In his mind's eye he could see the altered town's people mercilessly tearing apart Ahiru's pitifully small duck body. Prince Mythos flew courageously above them towards the Monster Raven. His sword cut through the hoards of ravens who attempted to throw him back. Rue danced without emotion within the body of the Monster Raven in despair. Her spirit had shattered under the wait of the Monster Raven's black heart.

While the power of the story lay in this pen, Fakir still felt a desperate helplessness. He had agreed to take this role because he realized how futile his role as a knight truly was, but it seemed wrong for him to be so far from the people he loved even if this was the only thing he could do to protect them.

His injured hand bled freely over the page as he wrote. The blood mixed with the still wet ink on the page, making his words glisten a sinister red.

Outside Aotoa's house the wings of the Monster Raven filled the skies with impossible enormity. Everywhere in the town the dark presence of the Monster Raven could be felt. Like a heavy fog, the darkness filled your lungs with unwholesome air and clung to the back of the throat. Fakir could almost taste the bitterness of the Monster Raven on the air it was so potent.

Nothing could still his hand now. He raced against the clock to finish the story Dosselmeyer wrote so many years ago. The pain in his hand was searing but he could only ignore it. He had to save Mythos, Ahriu, and Rue. They were all relying on him to give them a happy ending.

As he wrote frantically his words were transformed into actions, just outside of Aotoa's house. Ahiru danced for the raven townspeople with increasing passion. The people of the town felt the Monster Raven's talon loosen its icy grip of their hearts as they gazed on Ahiru's dance. It was true that it was not as beautiful dance as the one of Princess Tutu, but the emotion behind it was pure and unadulterated…

HOPE.

As far as he was from the battle Fakir could feel Ahiru's light dispel the dark coldness of the Monster Raven from the skies. Outside the window, the brilliant light forced the inky blackness into bright day. Revitalized by Ahiru's display of pure hope, Mythos flew towards the Monster Raven with renewed courage. With his sword drawn, he plunged into the depths of the Monster Raven's body, crying out for Rue. Rue heard his voice and looked up. She saw the coming of the Prince as a grand revolution in darkness of the Raven's body, with the light of Ahiru's hope lighting his way. As Mythos took her hand and flew off to plunge his princely sword into the heart of the Monster Raven, an idea struck Fakir.

The story was almost over. A happy ending was already assured. Mythos would kill the Monster Raven and take Rue as his princess. Ahiru's dance had broken the spell of the Monster Raven over the townspeople, all of whom now looked to the skies, watching Mythos's perilous rise through the body of the Monster Raven towards his great dark heart. Ahiru had collapsed and lay broken and beaten on the pavement. His heart begged him to run out into the street and bring her back to his house and bandage her wounds. But his head told him that if he didn't act quickly, she would remain a duck forever.

_Ahiru has always been a duck, it's her true form_, said a voice in his head. _The reason we wanted this story to finish was for everyone to be freed from their roles in the story._

_But she's more than just a duck_, Fakir yelled back. _She's a princess, a girl, a student at the ballet school._

_For awhile she was_, replied the voice, _but deep down, she was always a duck. You would do her injustice to decide her fate for her. Just because you want her to be a human doesn't mean that's what she deserves._

_I could let her choose_, Fakir said frantically. _I have that power. I can write that in the end that Ahiru chooses the form that she will keep for the rest of her life!_

_Why would you force such a decision on someone you claim as a friend_, the voice argued. _If she chooses to become Princess Tutu for the rest of her life her powers would be useless. She would be forced to live a life separate from everyone in the town who has reverted back to their true form. As a girl she would be the same clumsy bird-brained student who couldn't do anything right. Just let her stay a duck. She'll be better off for it, trust me._

_I can't do that, _cried Fakir. _It just doesn't seem right. I promised her a happy ending for everyone, even her. I can't let her down._

_It's not for you to decide what is right for her and what isn't, _reasoned the voice.

Fakir racked his brain. He was losing time quickly now. Mythos was almost at the heart. Once the Monster Raven was dead, the story would be completed. He had only seconds to come up with a plan. Suddenly, an idea came to him. He didn't have time to think it over properly but he was sure it was better than any alternative. He wrote frantically, always against the clock.

Then suddenly, Mythos's sword entered the heart of the Monster Raven, and it was over. The story had come to a close. Mythos and Rue floated down to the earth on a deck of flowers. They were welcomed with thunderous applause of the freed town's people.

Fakir's hand fell limp and the quill dropped from his hand. The pain in his hand finally started to come to his attention. His eyes burned from over use and sleep deprivation. But even through his exhaustion clouded mind, only one thought occurred to him.

"AHIRU!"

Fakir ran through the street, occasionally stumbling over the rough cobblestones that lined the street. He fled past the revived people of the town into the main street, looking for one person in particular. He came to the scene of the final battle, in front of The Third Great Gate. He was unsure of what he would find but prepared himself for either yellow feathers or red hair. What he hadn't prepared for was what he found.

Nothing.

There was no sign of Ahiru anywhere. Everyone else was there. Mythos was walking towards him with one arm around Rue. All the townspeople stood around in awe and admiration, applauding the bravery of the valiant prince who slew the Monster Raven. Neko-sensei stood behind Pike and Lille. Charon was a bit further to the left. Everyone from the school and the town was there, except Ahiru.

Fakir started to panic. He looked frantically, searching for some sign of the true hero of the story. She was the girl who had changed him with her love. She had shown him that he could be more than just some worthless knight. Her heart's warmth had saved their little town from certain death, but yet there was no sign of her.

Pain and exhaustion finally took their toll of Fakir's weakened mind. He felt his knees buckle beneath him and he started to fall. The last thing he felt before he fell into the inky blackness was a pair of strong arms securing him and a princely voice yell, "Fakir!"


	2. Chapter 2

Ahiru's True Form

Chapter Two

* * *

Ahiru was dancing on the lake's floor. Her orange hair swirled around her head as she ducked and spun around. A single beam of light illuminated a simple underwater stage for the amateur ballet dancer. Usually Ahiru's dance was pained and duck-like but now she moved just as gracefully as Princess Tutu. However, this dance was much different from the disciplined ballet of Princess Tutu. There was so much more of herself in Ahiru's dance. Ahiru the girl had never had any special grace or poise when it came to ballet. Her talent was expression. It was a gift that even Fakir envied. Every movement, every pose she struck doubled in significance because it was very expressly 'her'-self. Fakir never felt as touched by any other dancer's ballet as this one.

_Not even Rue could compare to this_, Fakir thought. _No one can dance quite like Ahiru and no one ever will._

A glowing light began to build in Fakir's chest. As he watched he felt it get steadily stronger. It slowly warmed his heart, melting away the last of the remaining ice that he had foster there after so many years of domineering over Mythos. He had seen this light out his window during the final battle. He even knew he name of it, the emotion that had possessed Ahiru from the first moment he met her. That light saved them all from the despair of Monster Raven.

Ahiru slowed into a heartbreaking _ralentir la danse_. Her face was emotionless but her ballet betrayed her. Fakir could sense her emotions perfectly just then. Despite her blank expression, her movements showed him much sadness. There was so much pain behind that peaceful face.

The water surrounding them began to change. The scene in from of Fakir grew hazy and dark. The current picked up and Fakir soon found himself barely able to stand against the raging force of the water. He raised his hands to shield his face against the current but the water still blinded him. He raised his voice against the growing din of the rushing water, screaming for his friend.

"Ahiru! Come to me, Ahiru! We have to get out of here! It's not safe, we have to go," Fakir cried.

The last thing Fakir saw was Ahiru's face, eyes wide in surprise, her mouth forming a perfect 'o'. She apparently hadn't noticed he was there.

He reached his hand out towards her but she was already fall away from him fast. The current was pushing him upwards at a frightening speed. There was nothing Fakir could do to fight it. The dark water gave way to light as he shot towards the surface of the lake. He tried with all his might to struggle against the current but it was useless. Soon he was expelled from the water, drowning instead in dazzling white light.

"Ahiru!"

"…Fakir?"

* * *

Fakir bolted upright to find himself being forced back down. He fought against his restraints, desperate to get back to the lake with Ahiru.

"Fakir, open you eyes," Fakir heard a voice say.

"It's alright, you're with us now," said another voice, a girl this time.

Fakir ceased his struggles and opened his eyes. At first, he was blinded by the brilliant light shining unobstructed through the window. As his eyes adjusted, he could see the others in the room with him. Urza-chan's was looking at him with her signature look of innocent curiosity. She was tapping lightly on her drum, as always. Rue stood away from the bed by the window, as if she was afraid to come any closer to Fakir. She did seem concerned about him though. She was holding blood soiled bandages, which Fakir assumed was him own.

A kind face with silver hair stood out among them.

"Mythos?"

Mythos smiled at him and nodded. "Hello Fakir. I am glad that you are awake. We were beginning to worry about you."

"Mythos, where is Ahiru?" Fakir asked abruptly.

Mythos looked confused. He tilted his head to the side and said, "You mean the girl from the ballet school? Most of the students went back there after the battle, perhaps she was among them."

Rue placed her hand on Mythos's shoulder. "No, he means Princess Tutu. Ahiru was her alter ego."

Mythos stared at his princess in undisguised surprise. "Ahiru was Princess Tutu? Why didn't she tell me? I thought she was my friend."

Fakir glared at the couple and repeated his question, "Where is Ahiru? I couldn't find her after the battle. I thought she would be there with the rest of you in the end."

Mythos and Rue looked back at him and Mythos replied, "I don't know where she is. I remember a pillar of bright light and a great swan. The light grew till it absorbed the entire town. It was that light that broke the curse of the Monster Raven on the town. I can only assume that Princess Tutu disappeared with the light."

Rue gasped, and looked away from Fakir. Fakir knew that she blamed him for Ahiru's disappearance. Urza-chan looked from Fakir to Rue and back but said nothing.

Fakir's heart skipped a beat and his stomach plummeted to the floor under his bed. _No_, he thought. _That isn't what I wrote. That wasn't how her story was supposed to end._

There was a brief silence filled with grief broken only by Urza-chan's steady tapping. Rue turned back to the two young men, looking thoughtful. She paused before speaking, "I'm not sure that she is gone. The swan she turned into was made out of a brilliant light that blinded us for awhile. It's possible that she turned into something else and ran off while we were regaining our sight."

Fakir shook his head sadly. "She would have been too tired to have run off anywhere. She was crushed by the army of raven during the battle. She fought hard, defying all the odds, but there is no way she could have walked away from that."

The darkness came back to Rue's eyes, "Yes, she was brutally beaten by the army of ravens. And I blame no one but you, Fakir. No one else had the power to make them stop and spared poor Ahiru. This is your fault, Fakir."

In his heart, Fakir knew that Rue was as scared and worried for Ahiru as he was. She considered herself as much a friend of Ahiru as he did, having been changed by Ahiru in the same manner as Fakir. They had both lived most of their lives in darkness, driven only by their obsessions with Mythos, searching to monopolize his love. Rue and Fakir had more in common than anyone could guess. Perhaps that was why Rue knew exactly the right thing to say to shatter Fakir's heart.

"How dare you accuse me of such a heinous crime," Fakir screamed, shredding his still delicate throat. "If I could have done anything for Ahiru, I would have done it. I fought the spell of Dosselmeyer with every fiber of my being to stop Ahiru's pain. I wrote the story the way it needed to be so we could all have a happy ending."

"A happy ending? You call this a happy ending? Where is Ahiru? Do you know what happened to Princess Tutu?" Mythos placed a hand on Rue's shoulder. It seemed to have a calming effect on her but her face soon dissolved into tears. She spun and burrowed her head into Mythos's shoulder. He held her against him, stroking her hair to help soother her.

_Ahiru was dancing on the lake's floor. Her orange hair swirled around her head as she ducked and spun around._

"No," Fakir replied sadly. "I have no idea what happened to her."

Rue lifted her head to look at him. She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "You must have so clue to what happened to her. What did you write in your story? You must have written something about her in the end." A shadow passed over her face and she stared at him in horror. "You didn't make her disappear in the end, did you? Like in the original story?" Mythos said nothing but his arm around Rue grew noticeably tighter. Urza-chan was still gazing at the scene with unmasked curiosity.

_Despite her blank expression, her movements showed him much sadness. There was so much pain behind that peaceful face._

Fakir glared at her in annoyance. "Of course I didn't. She was my friend; I would never let anything like that happen to her if I could help it. I don't know what happened to her. She should have been with you in the end. I don't know why she wasn't."

Before anyone could say anything, the sound of a snare-drum erupted from the base of the bed.

"Ahiru-chan is gone-zura?" asked Urza-chan. Fakir turned to her and put his hand one her wooden head.

"Yes, Urza-chan," he said softly. Urza-chan had always been very attached to Ahiru. Fakir knew how painful it was to her to hear the news. He could barely stand the mystery of Ahiru's disappearance himself. His mind floated back to his dream. _It was only just a dream, right?_ Fakir's thoughts clouded with images of Ahiru's underwater ballet. It had seemed so real to him. It was the same place that he and Ahiru had decided to give Mythos the last piece of his heart, and to accept whatever fate that befell them. That was at the bottom of the lake of despair. But that place couldn't possibly still exist could it? The story was over. There would be no more need for a place like that. Fakir was slipping deeper and deeper into his thoughts when Urza-chan surprised them all by saying, "But I just saw her! She was in woods-zura!"

Mythos, Rue, and Fakir immediately turned on Urza-chan.

"Where did you see her? Where in the woods?"

"Was she alright? Was she hurt…?"

"Why didn't you tell us before…?"

Urza-chan was overwhelmed by their questions. Her eyes stared up at them in bewilderment. When they refused to stop she began to wail on her drum until they all fell silent. Mythos placed his hand on her cheek and asked her again, "Where in the woods did you see Princess Tutu?"

Urza-chan smiled wide and banged on her drum in glee. "Follow me-zura! I'll show you the way-zura!"

She bounced off the bed and bolted out the door, crying 'Follow me-zura!' Fakir shot out of the bed, ignoring the painful protests of his body. Mythos moved as though he intended to encourage Fakir to stay behind but Fakir ran out of the room after Urza-chan before Mythos could stop him. Rue and Mythos were quick to rush after him.

Author's note: I would like to thank all of you beautiful people that reviewed the first chapter of this story. I hope this one is also to your liking. The third chapter is already under way and will hopefully be ready to post by the end of the week. If you happen to find any typos or grammatical errors in this chapter, please bring it to my attention. My normal proof reader is currently working on her own project and I feel bad disturbing her.


	3. Chapter 3

Ahiru's True Form

Chapter 3

* * *

They arrived at the lake, following the sound of Uzura-chan's drum the entire way there. The lake lay to the north of the town in the newly revealed world. To Fakir it appeared to be in the same location as the Lake of Despair but for some reason in the bright mid-day sun it seemed less foreboding than the night Ahiru and he danced at the lake's bottom.

Mythos and Rue immediately began searching the surrounding area. They rummaged through the surrounding bushes and shaded area under the trees. Fakir stood staring out into the dark expanse of the lake, deep in thought. Uzura-chan tottered over to his side. She stared up at his face in blatant curiosity. She turned to look over the lake where Fakir was staring so intently, then back to his face.

"What are you looking for, Fakir-zura?" she asked in her sing song voice.

Fakir continued to stare out over the water's surface, seemingly oblivious to Uzura-chan's innocent question. Mythos and Rue extended their search to encompass the surrounding the woods, calling out Ahiru's name. Eventually they returned empty handed to where Fakir and Uzura-chan were standing, their eyes cast downward in disappointed.

"It doesn't appear that she is still here," Mythos declared. "We search the entire area. Are you sure this is where you saw her?" He turned to face Uzura-chan.

Uzura-chan nodded solemnly. "This is the place I saw Ahiru. She flew here on great white wings made out of light-zura."

Rue clicked her tongue in irritation. "That isn't good enough. What form was she in? Was she hurt? Where was she when you saw here?"

Uzura-chan tapped at her drum absently and stared into Rue's face. Rue turned on Fakir next, "Fakir…"

Fakir was walked forward towards the lake with increasing speed. Soon he was in a dead run heading directly for the still, clear water. His boot clad feet slapped the wet sand noisily as he approached the water's edge.

"Fakir! What are you doing?" cried Mythos.

"Fakir, come back!" yelled Rue. "You're not well enough yet to swim!"

Fakir plunged into the cold, clear water. At first it was briskly refreshing but soon his body was shivering against his will. He pushed his body through the water, kicking wildly to gain more speed. In the darkness of the water he could faintly here Mythos' and Rue's concerned cries. He ignored them and plunged ever deeper. He knew what he was looking for was just beyond the black wall of water.

Rue turned to Mythos frantically. "You have to go after him! He's been unconscious for three days, the idiot is going to kill himself down there."

Mythos nodded and began to remove his shoes and jacket. He shot away from Rue toward the lake's edge. Before he had gotten half way, he saw something emerge from the water. A head of dark wild hair, determined green eyes, and a hard set mouth was quickly followed by a lithe frame clad by drenched cotton clothes. Mythos rushed forward but slowed when he saw what was in Fakir's arms. He heard Rue let out a gasp from behind him. Uzura-chan's drum sticks clattered loudly to the ground. Mythos couldn't believe the sight in front of him

_After all we have gone through, how could it end like this_? Mythos thought.

As Fakir grew closer Mythos shook his head in disbelief. Rue ran forward but came no closer than Mythos.

"Ahiru!"

Lying limply in Fakir's arms was the small body of a carrot-headed girl. Her skin was pale and her cheeks flushed. She looked so fragile; she could have been mistaken for a porcelain figure.

Fakir closed the finally gap between them and stood before them solemnly. His eyes were blank and unreadable. Rue's eyes began to water and her hands stared to tremble. Her hand flew up to her mouth to muffle the beginnings of a sob that was choked back. Mythos felt his newly reconstructed heart tear within him.

_After all we've gone through, it had to end like this?_ Mythos thought again.

And then, a cough. It was the most beautiful sound Mythos had ever heard. It was a rough muffled sound that undoubtedly came from the still figure in Fakir's arms. The group collectively drew and anxious breath and waited in a tense silence for the next sign of life.

CoughCough

Rue let out a relieved sigh, now allowing the tears to run freely down her face. Mythos's shoulders relaxed and he let out a short laugh. Fakir stood still tense, staring down at the limp figure in his arms. He was unchanged except for the touch of softness in his eyes.

Uzura-chan walked forward, her wide eyes uncomprehending the group's overflowing emotion. "Is Ahiru-chan broken-zura?" she asked, her eyes also beginning to glisten in tears.

"No," laughed Mythos in relief. "No, she's fine. Our little savior is just fine."

Rue smiled through her tears. Her face a picture of pure delight. "Thank goodness. Thank goodness, she's alright."

Mythos looked up at Fakir's face and what he saw alarmed him. The determined resolve from earlier was draining away from his form to be replaced by fatigue and sickness. Mythos moved forward and took the girl from Fakir's arms. As he did, he looked Fakir in the eye and said, "Let us help you. Ahiru and you have protected Rue and I for long enough. It is own turn to take care of you. Please allow us to return the goodness you have given to us. You are too weak to carry Ahiru back to your house. Let me carry her for you, please."

Fakir looked as if he was about to protest but Rue cut him off. "Don't be selfish, Fakir," she said, laughing now. "You have played the part of the noble knight for long enough. Please accept our gratitude for your bravery and courage. It would be unfair if you would not let us care for our friends."

Fakir looked unconvinced but his paleness gave him away. He passed Ahiru's cold trembling body to Mythos. Almost immediately his shoulders slumped and his knees buckled. He felt his own weight overwhelm him but was caught by Rue. She silently drew his arm around her shoulders and began to lead him back to the house.

Fakir walked home allowing Rue to hold most of his weight, watching the red top of Ahiru's head peaking out from Mythos's arms.

* * *

Fakir sat in a chair next to his bed. He was tired and needed to sleep but his bed was occupied by Ahiru's sleeping form. Mythos and Rue stood in hallway. Their voices slipped easily through the open door into the room. Fakir could hear ever word that was passed between them. _They are actually quite sickening_, he thought to himself.

"I still don't understand why Ahiru wouldn't tell me that she was Princess Tutu. I thought we were good friends at school," Mythos was saying.

Rue's soft voice replied, "I'm not sure, but I think she was embarrassed. As Princess Tutu she was a phenomenal ballet dancer with grace and beauty. Ahiru was a bit of a klutz and a terrible dancer."

"This certainly changes my perception on the last few months' events," Mythos came back with.

Rue's voice turned mischievous in return. "You are not implying that you chose wrongly, are you? Perhaps Ahiru's red hair would suit a golden crown better than my black ash."

Mythos's voice immediate became serious. "It was your confession that released me from the curse of the Monster Raven. You hold the key to my heart. While I am indebted to Princess Tutu, it is you who will share my throne."

They were in Fakir's house but he was beginning to feel as if he didn't belong there. _So this is happily ever after? _he thought. The Prince had his Princess, the Monster Raven had been defeated. The story that had ruled their lives was finally finished. However, it didn't seem that Fakir was any different than before. He turned to Ahiru's still unconscious form. _Doesn't seem so happy._

Mythos and Rue re-entered the room. Fakir stared at Mythos, finally able to take in his friend's changed appearance. Long gone was the empty-eyed Mythos that Fakir had cared for most of his life. The young man who stood before him could only be a fairy tale prince. His elegant garb and crown only accentuated Mythos natural princely poise. Fakir had never seen anyone so naturally regal. Everything about him was full of confidence and authority. It saddened Fakir that this was the true form of his childhood friend, the person Mythos was always meant to be but had never been able to be, until now.

Fakir smiled through his exhaustion and said, "I can't tell you how happy it makes me to see you like this, Mythos. Er, Prince Siegfried?"

Mythos smiled back a smile of pure majesty, "Continue to call me Mythos, please. It would not have been worth all of this effort to regain my heart if it meant that my friends could not call me what they wished."

Fakir was more tired than he ever remembered being before, but somehow he found the energy to give Mythos a warm smile. "Good, then it was all worth it."

Rue looked at him in concern. She was dressed in equal splendor. She was wearing a rich red wine dress with a fitted corset and princess sleeves. She wore a smaller and more feminine version of Mythos's crown which shone with a golden luster from her dark curly hair. Fakir wasn't sure if the dress was an after-effect of the story or if this dress had always been meant for Rue, even before the story began. Either was as likely, in this topsy-turvy world nothing surprised him anymore.

Rue addressed him now, not as a promised princess, but as the cool but caring Rue he had come to know her as. "Fakir, perhaps you should try to get some sleep. I will sit her with Ahiru. I promise to come and wake you if she wakes up."

Fakir shook his head. "I made a promise to Ahiru to always stay by her side. I will wait here until she wakes."

Fakir thought that Rue would snap at him again, but instead a touch of humor flickered in her eyes. "Now, Fakir, don't be so selfish. Ahiru is a friend to us all. We each have equal claim to her. I'm sure she will forgive you for getting some rest after all that you both have been through. Besides, think what she would say if she knew that you were pushing yourself so hard for her sake?"

Despite himself, Fakir had to smile at her argument. He could see Ahiru, in his mind's eye, looking up at him with her wide blue eyes, saying, "Fakir, you shouldn't be doing this to yourself. You're tired, get some rest. If you keep pushing yourself, you'll get sick." The thought made him a little sad. The girl on his bed wasn't the bright eyed Ahiru he had come to consider his friend. She was a broken and beaten little girl, who had been handed a raw deal by fate. Looking at her sleeping face, Fakir had to agree with Rue's reasoning. He was doing nothing for her by just sitting by her side. The best thing he could do for Ahiru right now was to take care of himself.

Mythos reached forward to help Fakir to his feet but Fakir brushed his hands off and stood up unaided. He moved towards to the door, stopping to look back one last time at the prone figure on the bed.

* * *

Fakir was laying on his back staring up at the ceiling. He was on the couch in the living room. A window was open and let in a soft cool breeze, causing the curtains to rise and fall periodically. The sounds from the street leaked through the window and filled the room with the noise of horse-drawn carts being rolled over cobble-stone streets and the soft clicks of footsteps as pedestrians passed by.

Fakir was more tired than then had ever been in his life but he had only been able to close his eyes for a few minutes before the wheels in his head began to start spinning. So much had happened over the past few months, he could hardly believe it was all real. Ever since he was a little kid, he had devoted himself to protecting the heart-less, defenseless Mythos. Now that same Mythos was a proud, majestic Prince. Fakir had feared the return of Mythos's heart at first. He was ashamed now of those feelings but he were still his, and he could not deny them. He feared that when Mythos got his heart back, he would leave Fakir alone again. Fakir had wanted to protect Mythos for the rest of his life. He was jealous of anyone who saw Mythos for what he truly was, and tried to hide him from the world. Rue had seen the Prince inside of Mythos also. She also wanted to keep Mythos without a heart so she could have him for herself also. Fakir could not blame her emotions, since they were his own as well. He had honestly thought that he was doing the best thing for Mythos when he leveled his blade that Mythos's heart, intending the break it apart. But Fakir had to admit that Mythos was much better this way. A heart can bruise and break but it was also a great gift. Fakir was now glad that he had allowed Princess Tutu to return the pieces of Mythos's heart.

_There is something magical about Mythos_, Fakir thought to himself. There was a certain trait of Mythos that made him completely lovable. There was something about him that made everyone he met want to protect him, to keep him to themselves. Fakir mused unemotionally what his life would have been like had he never met Mythos. Would he have escaped to the ballet school? What kind of person would he be? What would have happened to Mythos if Fakir hadn't found him that day in the street?

The multitude of questions overwhelmed Fakir's mind and forced his consciousness into submission. He sighed and rubbed his temples, trying to soothe his hyperactive mind.

"Do you mind if I ask you to answer a question?"

Fakir opened his eyes and looked over to the chair across the room. Mythos was sitting there looking at him in rapt attention. He looked relaxed, but his spine was straight, his shoulders did not touch the back of the chair. Fakir sighed once again, but managed to smile this time. "I have plenty of questions myself, but I can't promise any answers."

"Am I a lot different from before?" Mythos asked. "Before I got my heart back?"

Fakir closed his eyes and laid his head back down of the cushion. "Yes, Mythos. You are much different now."

"Is it a good difference?" Mythos asked again.

Fakir hesitated before answering. "I suppose. You should be able to think for yourself now. You won't need me to protect you anymore."

Fakir listened to the silence with half interest. Suddenly, Mythos replied, "I don't want you to stop protecting me."

Fakir opened his eyes but didn't sit up. Instead he furrowed his brow at the ceiling. "Why would you need a failed knight to protect you? My blade is useless to you."

Mythos gazed back at him calmly. "If is not your blade that I want, but your friendship. I've been asleep for a long time and I've only just now woken up. I need someone to guide me through this world. There is still so much I don't understand."

Fakir stared back uncomprehending Mythos's meaning. "You have Rue. She is a smart girl, though perhaps a bit insane from time to time. She can help you a hundred times better than I can."

Mythos smiled and nodded. "Rue is a wise and intelligent girl, but she is not who I want to advise me on these matters. I'm going to be leaving soon."

Fakir looked up in shock. "Where are you going?"

"I am going back to my castle," replied Mythos. "It is time that I returned to my duties as prince. I want to you to come with me, as my advisor."

Fakir shook his head, not out of disagreement but of disproval of the idea. "I would be a worthless advisor. I've never even left this town since I came to live here with Charon. Ever since I was a boy I was always protected by others. I am a failed knight who couldn't die when it was expected of him and I am responsible for the pain of Ahiru upstairs. There is nothing I can offer you as an advisor. If anything I would be bad luck for you."

Mythos smiled, as if he could see something funny. Whatever it was, it eluded Fakir. "That is exactly why I want you. I want someone who can share my sheltered view but is intelligent enough to learn along side of me the ways of this strange world. But most of all, I want to keep you by my side. I want to keep your friendship close at hand, for when I need it most."

"My friendship will always be yours to call upon anytime, you should know that by now," replied Fakir. "You will find no more loyal subject than me but I still do not see the logic in your choice. I am a nobody, a ballet student here in Kinkad."

Mythos smiled even wider at that. "Perhaps it is a sign of my ignorance of the ways of the world that I would choose someone such as you. But all the same, I doubt I could choose a better man to be at my right hand. You have proven yourself to me more times than I can count. I have the highest respect of your sword and your mind. And if you should continue to decline my offer I will offer it again until you decide to accept."

Fakir narrowed his eyes in annoyance. "Your never going to let this drop, are you? You're just going to keep asking me to come with you until I agree."

Mythos laughed openly in response. "You can count of it."

Fakir returned a small smile but didn't respond verbally. He was saved from answering by a knock on the door. Fakir sat up but Mythos had already crossed the room to let in their visitor.

A tall slim figure stalked into the room, his eye-glasses flashing in the light streaming in through the window. Fakir bolted upright to face the intruder.

"Hello, Fakir," greeted Aotoa.

Author's Note: Okay, so that took a little longer than I was hoping it would. Anyway, same thing as before, my proof-checker is off-duty, so let me know where the typos are. I really need to work on proof-reading my own stuff, but honestly, I have way too much homework already and I just do this for fun. Chapter Four has already been started and it's probably going to be my favorite so far. I'll try to write as fast as I can but in the mean time, I hope you enjoyed this latest installment. And if you didn't like it, keep checking back, I promise you there are going to be some big developments over the next few chapters. _Hint: What has been going on in the world outside of Kinkad since Mythos has been gone? Where did the kingdom think he went? What were the repercussions of his disappearance? _ All that and more in just a few chapters.


	4. Chapter 4

Ahiru's True Form

Chapter Four

_To sleep: perchance to dream: ay, there's the rub;_

_For in that sleep of death what dreams may come_

_-Shakespeare… duh_

* * *

The greatest darkness in your heart lies beneath your blackest emotions. Beneath that darkness there is nothing. It is hard to describe nothing, except that it can not be explained in any of the normal ways. It is the opposite of existence, the reverse of life. The opposite of life isn't death, but oblivion, which is a hundred times more cold and trapping. Ahiru floated through the nothingness and felt the oblivion crushing down on her like a thousand fists.

In the darkness she flexed her fingers and she was impressed by her ability to move even if it was just a little. It occurred to her that she was still in the form of a human, but whither she was Princess Tutu or the girl named Ahiru she had no idea. She wondered why she was a human now, when she had accepted her fate to appear as a normal duck for the rest of her life. _Is this a dream_? Ahiru asked herself. _Is my deepest wish, to remain a human for a little while longer?_ The silence that responded to her question was deafening.

So many questions swirled around in the black abyss that seemed to contain all of her existence. Could she say that she was just a duck? She had left her duck form to experience adventures and relationships that no duck could have.

So what was she? Was she a really a clumsy perky girl in a ballet school or was she the beautiful and majestic Princess Tutu? Could she be all three at the same time? The three forms were not as polarized as one would think. Princess Tutu and the girl Ahiru still had the heart of a duck, but the duck had the knowledge and experience of both the girl and the ballerina princess.

Was she doomed to be an over-qualified duck, an unprepared girl, or a now useless ballerina princess? Which form felt right to her? She thought about her life as Ahiru the girl. It was a good life, filled with friendships and hope. Her life as a duck or a ballerina princess looked far too lonely to her.

_It doesn't matter what I become, I suppose_, she thought in despair._ Regardless of what form I take I will be of no more use to anyone in the story. Mythos regained his heart and has Rue now to take care of him and make him smile. Fakir discovered his true power and can protect them should anything happen. What do they need a silly duck-girl for anymore?_ The thought was darker then the inky blackness that surrounded her.

_Still_, she continued_, I would like to see them again. I want to talk with Rue, see Mythos smile, and watch Fakir keep us all safe. I want to stay a girl, the one who was their friend. I know that I can't do anything for them and I might be selfish, but that is my true desire._

Thus, a duck made her decision to be become a girl named Ahiru, who danced like a duck, but had the peace of the greatest ballerina of all time.

* * *

"Aotoa, what are you doing at my house?"

Aotoa pushed his slipping glasses higher up his nose with a single finger. "I came here looking for you, dear cousin. I wanted to see the after-effects of the battle on your psyche."

Fakir stood up and crossed his arms. He stared menacingly at Aotoa. Aotoa continued without interruption.

"You seem to be in good order, a little worse for wear, but nothing a good night's sleep can't fix. I had just been considering the effects such a grand display of your power. There is nothing in the old books about Dosselmeyer that hint at any personal repercussions to the writing of stories but you are not Dosselmeyer. It occurred to me that you might have been driven mad with overexertion since you lack training or discipline. My secondary reason for being here pertains to the latter point."

Fakir furrowed his eyebrows before replying, "So you have come here to determine what has become of your little experiment. How considerate of you. Well, as you can see I am just fine. My friends are taking care of me. As for your latter point, I would prefer if this discussion was left for a later time."

Aotoa shook his head gravely. "I'm afraid I disagree. Your training should take a much higher priority in your mind. It would be highly unwise for you to continue much longer without proper guidance by someone such as myself, with superior knowledge and experience in these matters. I would highly recommend that you devout your soonest efforts and energies to the programs of studies I will provide to you."

Fakir stared into Aotoa's bespeckled eyes. "Your assistance is worthless to me. There is no reason for me to use my powers now the Monster Raven is gone."

Aotoa stiffened but nodded absently. "It is true that your friend Prince Siegfried is quite safe now from the dark powers of the Raven and is well reunited with all the shards of his heart, but you must think of the larger picture. There is much more to be obtained then this singular victory. Think of all the good you can do with this amazing power you have."

"I have no desire to explore this power anymore. It is too dangerous to the people I love. It was a power like my own that endangered my friends, and I will make sure that a power like it will never be used again."

"You idiot!" cried Aotoa, finally losing his cool. Desperate now, he attempted to persuade Fakir with one final argument. "If you will not use your powers as I would advise, at least consider the good you could do for your friends. Think of Prince Siegfried here. He is a timeless prince, torn from the story that was created for him. He is without a story or a purpose. The world you have created by tearing down Dosselmeyer's works will be a great inconvenience to him. At least consider writing a story for him, one that will allow him to live at his true potential. A person of power such as him would live in waste in a small town like Kinkad and a power like yours would be a great help to him."

Fakir's eye's flashed in anger but his voice was level when he replied, "Do not suppose these things for Mythos. His future is his own to decide and I would be the worst of friends to take that choice from him."

"And what does Prince Siegfried plan to do," Aotoa asked, pushing his glasses back up his nose with his ring finger.

Mythos moved next to Fakir before answering Aotoa. "I will return to my castle with my princess, Rue. I will take back up the seat of power that is rightfully mine by birth."

Aotoa smiled sinsterly. "Are you so stupid, Prince Siegfried, to think that there is any such place of power for the likes of you? Has it not occurred to you that you are a creation of Dosselmeyer? A character in an old fairy tale that has no basis in reality? You have wandered this world for countless centuries, searching in vain for your scattered heart and only recently fell into Fakir's care. Why, I bet you haven't aged at all since your first encounter with the Monster Raven. You are not human, Prince Siegfried. You are merely fairy tale prince who now lacks even a story."

Mythos eyes grew wide and his mouth opened as if he were going to reply but made no sound. Fakir glared furiously at Aotoa. He moved forward until he was speaking directly into Aotoa's face. "How dare you say that to my friend and a prince! Get out of my house! And never let me see your face again!"

Aotoa ruffled his figurative feathers and replied with forced calmness, "You can not use your powers without my help, I know more about Dosselmeyer and his power than any other person in existence. I will be waiting for you to come to me and beg my forgiveness. Only then will I share my store of knowledge with you. You will grovel before me soon enough, cousin."

"You wait for that day, **cousin**," Fakir spat the last word. "But I assure you it will be a long wait. Now get out of my house!"

Aotoa spun on his heels and headed out the door, slamming it behind him. Fakir let out a sigh of relief and exhaustion. Relief that the arrogant ass was finally out of his conscious spectrum and exhaustion over the energy it had required to get the git to leave.

Fakir turned back to Mythos and was surprised to see him staring down at the floor. He made a very pathetic sight. The princely posture had left him and what Fakir saw now was a boy with a small frame wearing oversized clothes that seemed to swallow his fragile body. Mythos shoulders hunched and his face was a dismal mix of introspection and gloom.

"Mythos," Fakir called. "What is the matter?"

Mythos continued to stare at the ground. A dark shadow rested over his face, disfiguring his fine features. "Do you think he was right? That I am just a made up person?"

Fakir breathed a sigh of relief. "Don't listen to that worthless idiot. He was just trying to get me worried about you so I would submit to his authority. He is a sad boy who is jealous of my inherited power and is trying to manipulate us into surrendering to his power."

"There might have been some truth to what he said," Mythos replied, his voice choked with emotion. Fakir had never seen Mythos so upset, having spent most of his life with the lifeless, heartless Mythos. This new Mythos was so unfamiliar to him. "I don't remember anything that happened to me before I broke my heart apart to seal the Monster Raven. I don't remember a castle or a throne, but I feel certain that I must have one somewhere. Perhaps I did, until the story came to a close."

Fakir shook his head and placed his hand on Mythos's thin shoulder. "The story Dosselmeyer wrote for us did not invent us. It only used us as pawns in a grandiose game. Dosselmeyer did not have the power to invent people, only to change them or manipulate their fates. Every character, however, had a history before the story began. It is just as likely that you were a prince as much as I was a knight."

"Using your logic, it is possible that I could have been an ordinary person who was given the role of a prince in a story. We don't know what my history was before this all began. We don't know how long this story has gone on. I've been wandering for centuries in this town, or at least I think I have." Mythos placed he hand on his forehead and held his head. "My memory is not very reliable. I know that I have never aged, but I don't know how long it has been since I was wandering without my heart. I have seen children grow into adulthood and die of old age without ever aging myself. If I am truly as old as the story says, my history is long lost by now."

"I supposed that could be possible," admitted Fakir. "However you say that it is your instinct that you were of noble birth before the spell of the story took over your fate. Let that be enough evidence of your true personality."

Mythos looked up into Fakir face finally, his eyes filled with heart-melting sadness. "What do you think, Fakir? What will you have me do now?"

Fakir considered the question before answering. "I would suggest that you learn what you can about the world outside of this town. Perhaps you will be able to find some clue to your original identity. I am, however, confident in your regality, I always have been. A pawn of a mishandled story or not, you will always be a prince in my eyes and I will continue to serve you anyway I can."

Mythos smiled then, and small but steady smile that seemed to bring a new brightness to the room. In Fakir's eyes, he seemed to grow once more into a stately prince, his back straightening and his chin rising up. The shoulder under Fakir's hand seemed to strengthen under his grip. "Are you still sure that you will not accompany me as my advisor? I could think of no one I would prefer more."

Fakir removed his hand from Mythos's shoulder and took a step back. "You obviously need to expand your circle of friends before you make any claims like that."

Mythos's smile widened and was about to reply when a loud noise in the street commandeered the friends' attention.

* * *

Rue sat at Ahiru's side, gently stroking Ahiru's cherry-colored hair absently. Her violet eyes rested on her friend's unconscious face heavy with guilt. _Surely_, she thought to herself, _Ahiru would not be in such a state if I had not forced her to defend their beloved Mythos from my jealous rage._ _How ridiculous my actions seem now._ She bent down over Ahiru's sleeping form and pressed a soft kiss on the girl's brow. _I am sorry, Ahiru. You were a true friend until the end. I only regret that I could not return your kindness at the time. If you return to us, I promise to cherish you as you properly deserve._ Rue swept a stray lock of hair from Ahiru's face and leaned back in her chair with a soft moan. It took a moment for Rue to realize that the moan had not been her own.

Ahiru stirred softly, moving her head from side to side on the pillow and furrowing her brow. Rue's heart raced and a brilliant smile overtook her face. She reached out and took Ahiru's still limp hand. She was rewarded when Ahiru's fingers flexed in her own.

"Ahiru," she whispered excitedly. "Can you hear me?"

Heavy eyelids parted to reveal familiar blue orbs. A small smile played at the corners of Ahiru's mouth. She whispered back a weak word that Rue regretfully missed.

She leaned forward intently and angled her ear toward Ahiru's mouth so she would not miss the next. "Please, Ahiru, say that again. I could not hear you."

"Rue-chan," Ahiru whispered with a smile. "You look beautiful."

Tears grew unbidden in Rue's eyes and she had to choke back a sob. Turned to look Ahiru directly in the eyes and said, "Ahiru, I promised the others that I would alert them as soon as you awoke, but would you mind if it was just us for awhile?"

Ahiru smile widened and she closed her eyes. "Okay, Rue-chan." Her head fell back in the pillow but her breathing did not slow, so Rue was certain she was not asleep. They stayed there for awhile hand in hand in silence, quietly appreciating each other's company.

* * *

Author's Note: Wow, this chapter was really hard to write. Hope you all like it! I already have this fic planned out to chapter 8 but don't worry, there is plenty to get done between now and then. Chapter five is going to see a lot of new and interesting developments so be sure to stop by and check it out in a few weeks! 


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Fakir and Mythos were amazed by what they found outside. The town was bustling with activity of an unexpected kind. Lines upon lines of infantrymen paraded down the street. Some of them were escorting confused looking townspeople. Each solider was heavily armed with swords, throwing knifes, and large pistols with enough ammunition for several rounds of fire. They were dressed in a dark navy blue uniform and the officers had gold bands on their shoulders. Military captains were barking out orders to the men, instructing them where to deposit the captives. Men and women were being directed in different direction and were placed in separate holding facilities.

"Aotoa didn't mention this," said Fakir. "He was walking around town before he stopped by. He should have warned us these men were here."

"You didn't give him much chance to talk before you forced him to leave," said Mythos.

Fakir shrugged. "I didn't think he had anything so say."

Fakir and Mythos stood unchallenged in the middle of the town square, gapping at the military men. They all seemed so serious and deadly. Several of them had large disfiguring scars across their face and hands. It was obvious this was an experienced and weathered fleet. However, they didn't seem to be harming any of the townspeople. They almost seemed like shepherds, calmly guiding a flock of sheep into a shelter. If it wasn't for the long swords still covered in dried blood and the scowling faces of the soldiers, the two friends would have been less concerned about the intent of the soldiers.

Fakir approached two navy-clad guards with round helmets near the gate of the fine arts school.

"Excuse me, but what is going on? Why are you all here?"

The guards gave no indication they heard him and continued to stand at attention. Fakir waved his hand in front of their faces but neither of them so much as blinked.

Mythos spotted an officer on a horse near the water fountain with more decorations on his shoulder then the rest. He attempted to question him also but the man turned away before Mythos could speak.

Mythos returned to Fakir's side and looked at him with his confusion written clear across his face. "What do you think their doing here?"

Fakir shook his head and replied, "I have no clue. I've never seen uniforms like theirs. Navy blue with gold trim, what could it mean? They don't seem to be hurting anyone though."

Mythos nodded. "They are very professional, that much is certain. We should look for someone who will answer our questions."

Fakir started to nod but instead asked, "Shouldn't we go back to my house and check on the girls? What if the soldiers have started conducting house inspections? We need to make sure the girls are alright."

Mythos smiled slightly and countered "Even if they are taken captive, what will we do? We are just two boys who are good with swords. They have guns and greatly out number us. First we need to find someone who will explain why these men are here. We will have to trust that Rue and Ahiru will be alright until we return."

"I don't like it, but you are right," Fakir replied. He scanned the area with his eyes and came across someone familiar. "Charon!"

The aged man over his shoulder and saw Fakir and Mythos running towards him. He turned towards them but was stopped by the two uniformed men on either side of him. Charon turned to one of the guards and said, "Please, he is my son." Something passed across the man's face and he came to a halt. His comrade followed in suit and Charon was able to turn and talk to Fakir.

"Fakir, are you alright?" Charon asked.

Fakir nodded and said, "What's going on, Charon? Who are these men? Where did they come from?"

Charon shook his head and frowned. "I'm sorry boys. I know very little but you shouldn't be worried. These men don't seem to want to hurt us. If anything they seem to be as confused as we are."

"How do you mean," ask Mythos.

"I don't pretend to know much but this is what I understand to be true. Something strange happened last night that affected all of us. I don't know what it was. All I remember was a great darkness then a great light that drove away the blackness."

"Are you sure that's all you remember," interrupted Fakir.

Charon smiled meekly. "I know that sounds like something out of one of my old stories but I promise you it is all I remember. A few hours later these men arrived. They told us that this town appeared out of a mist. They told us there used to be a town here years ago but it disappeared in what was assumed an enemy attack. They think that this town is filled with ghosts of that old town. I think this is why these men are so respectful to us. They do not want to anger whatever evil spirits are in this town."

"Are all of these men superstitious," inquired Mythos.

Charon shrugged and replied, "I don't think so but their leader, the general on horse back, is. He warned them when they first arrived to be very careful with us and to question all of us. It was his idea to separate the men and women, but I don't pretend to know why. Something very strange has been going on in Kinkad Town. And I don't think it started last night."

"Your right, "Mythos replied with a nod. "There has been something very unusual going on in this town for many years."

For the first time, one of the soldiers seemed to notice the two boys and turned to Mythos. "Oy, boy! What do you know about what is going on here? Speak up!"

Mythos turned to the soldier with a cool expression. "I know some of it and my friend here probably knows the rest."

Fakir shifted uncomfortably on his feet. "Mythos, that might have been saying too much."

The soldier looked at his comrade and they both nodded. The second solider turned to Mythos and said, "Would you two please come with us to see the general. We promise that no harm will come to you or your father."

Mythos nodded and immediately began to follow the men towards the South Gate, leaving Charon behind. Fakir hesitated but was motioned forward by Mythos. He ran to catch up with his friend.

Charon called out from behind him, "Stay safe and come home soon!" Fakir waved to him behind his back and soon stepped into stride with Mythos.

Mythos whispered to him that he did not have to come if he didn't want to. Fakir shook his head and replied, "It's no use Mythos. You are far too trusting. You need me here to look out for you."

"Does this mean that you have accepted my offer, to become my advisor?" Mythos asked hopefully.

Fakir shook his head. "Don't read into my actions so much. I just want to make sure you make it out of this town in good health. I should be able to protect you while we are still in the town."

"It is not your protection I need right now, but your advice. I'm gotten myself in a situation where I will need your input and intelligence."

"Both of which I'll give you for the time being. But I can't follow you out of this town if you chose to leave. I'm no good to you beyond these walls," Fakir said.

Mythos looked ahead and saw a white bearded man on horseback with so many brightly colored ribbons and awards splattered across his great chest you could barely see the cloth of his uniform. He muttered under his breath, "We will see if I can't convince you otherwise."

* * *

Rue helped Ahiru as she drank from a glass of water. Ahiru was recovering quickly but her grip was still weak. She could probably drink unassisted but Rue wanted to be useful to her friend. Rue had a lot to make up for to Ahiru and she wanted to repay her debt to her however she could. 

Ahiru watched her friend as she took care of her. Rue was smiling faintly and seemed very pleased with her self. Ahiru could only guess at what was making Rue so cheerful. She guessed that now that Rue had Mythos as her beloved she could care for others with more ease. Rue has always been jealous for love. Now that she had love, Ahiru was sure that a new Rue would emerge.

Ahiru wondered where Mythos could be. She wanted to see him smile at her with his new soul filled eyes. But what she wanted to see even more was Mythos to share a smile with Rue. She wanted to see her friends happy together. She could think of no greater reward for her efforts than the obvious happiness of her friends.

"Rue, where is Mythos?" Ahiru asked.

Rue's smile widened and she replied, "What's this, Ahiru? You've been awake for only ten minutes and you're already asking for my prince? You must be recovering faster than I imagined."

Red spread over Ahiru's cheeks as she cried back indignantly, "You know that's not it! I just wanted to know if he was alright after the battle."

Rue's expression softened. "I knew what you meant. It's your own fault your so easy to tease. I know that you would never try to take him away from me, regardless of whatever your feelings might be for him."

"It's not that…" Ahiru trailed off. "My feelings are hard to explain. I can't tell you what I feel…"

"I understand, Ahiru. Your feelings are private and I have no right to hear them. More to the point, Mythos is fine," Rue replied. "He's better than he's ever been. Now that he has his heart back his attitude and personality have completely changed, but he is still the same kind-natured Mythos he always was. Now, Fakir, on the other hand," Rue sighed. "He worries me a little."

Ahiru looked up in alarm, "Why? What happened to him? Was he hurt?" Ahiru began to sit up in bed but Rue placed a placating hand on Ahiru's shoulder and pushed her back down.

"Lay down, you need to relax. If you run off to Fakir you'll fall flat on your face before you reach the door. Fakir is well enough for the time being. He was exhausted after the battle. Apparently the spinning of stories is as mentally and physically grueling as fighting a battle."

"But is he alright? Did he get injured the battle? Was he able to rest afterward?" Ahiru blue eyes were growing serious and wet and Rue began to grow concerned for Ahiru's emotional strain.

"Yes, he rested a little. You don't need to shed a tear for Fakir. Even if he was an inch from death, he would just grit his teeth until he was finished his mission. There's no reason for you to waste a thought on him."

Ahiru's gaze grew distant as she stared off into the empty space beyond the door of the room. "I didn't even think of Fakir getting hurt. He always works so hard to take care of us; he never lets us worry about him. He's been through so much yet he never asks for help with anything. I want to help him but I don't know if he would let me."

Rue shook her head at her friend. "It's not use wondering over that boy. Fakir is a stubborn idiot who would throw himself in front of a blade for Mythos. Not that I'm saying that he isn't well intentioned, but his methods are almost crass. He lacks any subtlety to his character. To worry about him is like being concerned about a lit firework. He's bound to go off at any second and bring destruction down on all of us."

Ahiru turned to look Rue in the face. "Fakir isn't like that. He has a good heart. It's true he is very stubborn and cares only for Mythos, but I count him as my friend and I care for him."

Rue smiled pleasantly and replied, "I suppose you can't help your own haphazardly caring nature, not matter how unfortunate your choice of friends."

"I don't see anything unfortunate about my friends," Ahiru said, staring up into Rue's eyes. "They are all wonderful, kind-hearted people who deserve much more happiness than is given to them."

Rue's smile widened. "You would say that, Ahiru."

* * *

The man on horseback with a full white beard was named General Arnold Heinrich. He was a physically unimpressive man of substantial age for a military man. He always appeared in battle on horseback in order to improve his image. Who he was trying to impress was uncertain. He was well loved by his men for his strategic talent and long experience and his excellent reputation preceded him to war and struck hard with his enemies. He was also a very open and personable character and received Mythos and Fakir warmly once he had understood that they were willing to help clear up several details concerning the town. One of his tragic character flaws, however, was his superstitious nature. He believed in ghosts, good luck charms, and the power of the number seven. When ever he went into battle he requested 7778 men, in case one of them died in transport. His second great character flaw was his strict realism. These two contradictory traits in a single person of powerful standing were often the butt of jokes in the army camps. 

The General Heinrich had Mythos and Fakir seated at a comfortable outdoor café. He granted them the honor of sliding of his horse and sat with them at the table. They were served weak green tea by the general's personal footmen in wooden cups. The general apologized for the poor quality of the refreshments but explained that, "we military men are those of few refinements and lesser comforts."

He began his list of questions with, "Where did this town disappear to?"

Fakir and Mythos looked and each other before Mythos answered, "It didn't go anywhere. It was merely hidden."

The general nodded and signaled to his secretary to make a record of the interview. The bookish looking man produced a large leather notebook, an ink bottle, and quill from a bag at his side and commenced to write furiously.

"How was this town hidden?"

Fakir replied, "Through an enchantment. I'm not sure if I can describe it, but it involved a powerful storytelling that caused a story to become reality."

The general raised his eyebrow. "You can't expect us to believe that too quickly. It's true that I am a believer in magic and enchantment, but if I were to report that tale back to my colleagues I would be thrown out of my post."

"We can tell you no more than what we understand," said Mythos. "I can promise you that we will be honest in answering your questions but please understand that what occurred to this town was unnatural and requires a bit of faith in the storyteller."

"Very well," sighed the general. "Let us continue then. How long was this town hidden?"

Fakir and Mythos looked at each other again. Finally Fakir replied, "We don't know. It could have been a hundred years or a couple months. We think it's been a long time. Hundreds of years of history have collected since the gates to the city have been closed. However, it would not surprise us if less or more time has passed since we were barred from the rest of the world."

"Barred?" repeated the general. "How did you survive? Where were your food reserves? Your water supplies? How could you remain self-sufficient for so long?"

"Now you're asking the right questions to the wrong people," said Fakir. "I have no idea how to answer you except to say that it was part of the enchantment that life would be able to sustain itself within the town in order for the spell to be continued."

"How old are both of you?"

Fakir set a panicked look at Mythos before saying, "Fourteen." Mythos however replied, "I don't know."

The general stared at Mythos before demanding that Mythos explained his answer.

"I think I am close to fourteen, like my friend here, physically. However I have memories that go back years before Fakir was born. I have known him since he was a young boy, but I was the same as I am now. I have never changed in physical appearance, so I don't know if you could say that I am old or not."

The general gapped at Mythos. "Are you immortal?"

Mythos shook his head, "No, probably not. Now that the enchantment has been lifted I expect to age normally. The spell that bound this city had a direct connection to my lifeline. Now that it is over, my ageing should return to normal." Mythos looked uncomfortable for a moment then said, "At least I hope so."

"Who cast this spell and hid this town?" asked the general.

Fakir answered, "I believe that the man responsible was named Dosselmeyer."

The general raised an eyebrow at this. "How can you be so sure of this? Did you know this man? What was his relation to you?"

Fakir winced at the question but answered honestly, "He was my ancestor and yes, I am sure of it."

The general looked thoughtful and said, "I have heard this name, Dosselmeyer. I thought that he was a writer of children's stories. I remember reading some of his works to my grandchildren when they were still in the crib. If I remember correctly, his stories were always very dark and ended in tragedy."

Fakir nodded grimly and replied, "Yes, it is the same person."

"This begs the question of your identities. You claim to be a descendent of this man but who are you?" His question was directed at Mythos.

"I am called Mythos by my friends but real name is Prince Siegfried. I have been in this town since it was first enchanted, never ageing, and forever wandering. Until recently I was alone but a few years ago I met Fakir and…"

"Prince…. Siegfried…" the general gapped. His face had gone an ashy white. The secretary had stopped writing and stared openly at Mythos. All the soldiers surrounding them had gone white and where gawking at the blonde haired boy. Fakir began to feel uneasy and felt his bare side instinctively for his sword.

The general reached up and held Mythos's face between his face. He bent in closely to inspect his face, as if trying to find a flaw somewhere on his skin. His face several inches away from Mythos's, he murmured, "It is you."

A ripple of excitement went through the line of soldiers. Their professional stern faces were now open books of emotion, happiness, fear, shock, and relief. They whispered to each other audibly.

"Could it be?"

"Is it really him?"

"… so long ago I didn't think he was still alive…"

Fakir turned to the general and demanded, "What is going on here? Why are you so surprised to see him? Didn't you know he was here?"

The general turned to face Fakir with tears in his eyes. Fakir was greatly taken back by the emotion in the older man's face. The general released Mythos, who looked remarkably calm for having so much attention directed at him.

"There is a very good reason to be surprised. We thought Prince Siegfried had been killed five years ago."

* * *

Author's Note: Yes, it's another cliffhanger. No worries, now that summer break is upon us, I have plenty of time to write. I had made a promise to myself not to touch this story until finals were over. Now that they are, and the results are in, and they were pleasing, I'll be spending a lot more time to this story. This is a good thing, since it's going to end up being one of the longest I've written all year. So check back in a few weeks, and the next chapter should be up. 


	6. Chapter 6

Ahiru's True Form by Madonnalal

Chapter Six

"Know thyself."

-written in the Delphi Temple by an anonymous author

* * *

"There is a very good reason to be surprised. We thought Prince Siegfried died five years ago."

Mythos stared calmly into the generals eyes. His shoulders squared and his face was set in regal solemnity. He seemed to be relieved by the general's revelation rather than disturbed by it. His cool attitude was oddly calming to Fakir, who would have been more upset at this discovery in any other situation.

"Five years…" Fakir murmured.

"How was I killed?" asked Mythos.

General Heinrich said, "The official story was that you were killed in a preemptive strike by Tirol forces. You were visiting the famous Kinkad Academy of the Performing Arts for a special performance here in Kinkad Town. Shortly after you arrived, we lost communication with the town. The military sent in several investigation teams only to find the town had completely vanished. Given your personal prominence and this town's proximity to the Tirol border we assumed the worst. Obviously, some of the details were a bit muddled. For example, you're not quite dead, are you?"

"So it would seem," retorted Mythos.

"What is Tirol?" asked Fakir.

The general raised an eyebrow but answered evenly, "It is the country that borders Sachsan to the east."

"What is Sachsan?" asked Fakir.

The secretary, who had resumed writing furiously shortly after recovering from the shock of the revelation of Mythos's existence, stopped again and exclaimed, "G-Good lord, man! Do you not even know what country y-you're in?"

Fakir frowned then said, "I have no idea what you're talking about. Who are you people, who sent you here? On whose authority are you invading our town? And what do you know Prince Siegfried?"

"This is the Sachsan State Military," cried the secretary. "Surely, y-you must have heard of it. We are the h-heroes of the Tirol Border War!"

"Johnan!" reprimanded the general and the secretary returned to his books with a scowl.

"Tirol… War…" Mythos looked from the line of solemn faces in the ranks nearby to the ruddy cheerful face of the general. "I swear the population of Kinkad Town had no knowledge of these things."

"We are the Sachsan State Military, based in our country's capital Salzburg. That is where Prince Siegfried's castle is, and the rest of the royal family. And yes, there is a current conflict with our neighbor to our east, the country Tirol."

"This conflict," said Mythos, "did it begin with my supposed death."

The general hesitated then nodded slowly, "Your death was the catalyst. The straw that broke the camel's back, or so they say, but it was not the sole reason, make no mistake about that. A war with Tirol was eminent; relations between the Sachsan and Tirol were always tight and a single outburst was all that was needed to launch us into war. When Kinkad Town disappeared, it was assumed to be demolished in a Tirol attack. We returned fire on their capital, Vorarlberg, and each country signed at declaration of war. Of course, now that it seems that there was no Tirol attack on Kinkad, it sheds an interesting light on the events that took place 4 and a half years ago."

"These two countries have been warring since Prince Siegfried's death five years ago?" asked Fakir.

"Yes," said the general. "Prince Siegfried's cousin, King Byron, has gone to great lengths to avenge his cousin's apparent death."

"King Byron? His cousin?" Fakir was at a loss for words. There was too much to absorb. Mythos had been considered dead by his family and country this entire time. His cousin, this Byron, was King and had been leading a full scale war against a neighboring country that had been assumed to be responsible for the Prince's death. Fakir was struck by a feeling of unreality. Somehow, living in a world designed by a story of a dead author made more sense than this new world. The world had left Kinkad Town behind and gotten very complicated. Fakir couldn't imagine how much he needed to learn about this new world even if he planned to stay here in Kinkad Town. Long ago, anything that had not pertained to Kinkad Town had been discarded from the libraries as frivolous fiction. How were the people of Kinkad to know that some day the countries in those books would turn out to be real? Fakir had no way to prepare to face this new world. A sharp cold fear began to clench at his stomach as the shape and size of the world started to appear in his mind. Outside of Kinkad, there were thousands, no, _millions_ of people living in hundreds of countries each with histories and interstate relations of their own. He was ignorant of hundreds of years of world history. Geography, Topography, and Grand Politics were completely alien to him.

The idea that Mythos had a family also struck Fakir hard. He had always seen Mythos as a sort of adopted brother, a person without any other family or connections, someone who had needed Fakir for everything he could offer. When Mythos was alone, Fakir could pretend that he was protecting him, keeping his safe, and giving him the company he needed. Now, behind Mythos had sprung a massive entourage of military generals, family members, and loyal subjects. How could Fakir compete with the bonds of blood and history?

His mind was set. No matter how Mythos pleaded, Fakir would not leave Kinkad Town. This town would be his coffin.

"It is obvious what needs to be done now," said Fakir. "Mythos, you must return to your castle with the general and prove to your cousin that you are not dead. I will stay here in Kinkad Town with Ahiru."

Mythos looked at his friend too quickly, shattering his impression of regal detachment. A shade of fear had set in his eyes that gripped at Fakir's heart but his mind was set.

"You are not coming with me, then," said Mythos.

Fakir answered coolly, "Had I ever given you the impression that I would be leaving with you? Since the first time you asked I have refused and I remain unwilling leave out of Kinkad."

"Please, Fakir!" implored Mythos. He was openly begging with Fakir. His eyes were wide, his mouth was half open and his bottom lip was trembling. Fakir had never seen anything so pitiable in his life. "I can't do this alone, Fakir. I need your help. I don't know enough to do this by myself."

"Have you forgotten? You have Rue. She's a smart girl. For everything else she is, she is intelligent, I'll give her that," said Fakir.

The general inclined his head at the mention of Rue. "You'll excuse me for interrupting, but who is this Rue?"

"Princess Rue is my chosen companion," said Mythos. "She will of course go wherever I go."

The general looked strangely uncomfortable. He fumbled with his hands in his lap for a bit then said "Oh dear. That may be a problem." The two boys, however, did not hear him.

"What I do not know could fill endless tomes, Mythos. I will be of no use to you outside of Kinkad Town. Take Rue to your castle and start your Happily Ever After."

"That not true, Fakir!" cried Mythos. "You know far more than I do. I need your help more than anyone's, please come with me!"

Fakir shook his head. "I'm sorry Mythos, but this has to be something you do on your own. Don't worry, you're a Prince. These things should come naturally to you."

"Fakir! Don't joke about this!" Mythos was breathing heavily and a dark look had arrested his features. A rosy glow was beginning to grow in his eyes. Mythos began to reach at his side for his sword, his expression growing more serious by the second. Fakir instinctive groped his empty side for his sword for the second time that day. Half way to his sword, Mythos stopped his hand. His eyes closed and his shoulders relaxed. Several minutes passed where Fakir didn't know what was going to happened. When his eyes opened again, Mythos was breathing regularly and had regained his regal pose. His eyes were their normal golden color, without the slightest hint of red. His hand returned to his side and the sword remained untouched.

When Mythos spoke, his voice was strong and clear. "I accept your refusal for now, but I would hope that you reconsider and follow me shortly. For now, I will take Rue with me to the castle and reintroduce myself to my cousin. I have a lot to remember about my past self and a lot of new things to learn. It would have been my preference to have you by my side when I learned them, but I understand that you must have a good reason to decline my offer. I just hope that whatever you intend to do, we will meet again soon."

Fakir bowed slightly. "I will always be your friend and loyal subject. Please know that I am not abandoning you. I do hope that we do meet again very soon. But I can not leave with you now. There are still things for me to do here in Kinkad. Thank you for understanding."

Mythos turned to General Heinrich and said, "General, will you excuse me while I go back and get my companion. I will return shortly."

The general looked wary. "If I may make a suggestion, your highness. I will send some of my men with your friend to fetch your companion and escort her back here," said the general. Then he said softly so only Mythos could hear, "There is something I wish to speak to you about in private. Before your companion arrives."

Mythos nodded. The general motioned to his men and two soldiers stepped forward to flank Fakir on either side. Fakir stepped forward to shake hands with Mythos before he left.

"I will see you soon, Mythos," Fakir said and departed.

As Fakir and the soldiers with him faded into the distance, Mythos turned to the general and inquired, "What is it that you wanted to tell me, General."

The general looked very uncomfortable again and glanced sideways at his secretary. The secretary seemed to understand the look and closed his book with a snap and started to place all his writing instruments back in his bag.

"What I'm about to tell you is strictly unofficial. I can not be held responsible for whatever you decide to do with this information. Do you understand?"

Mythos nodded solemnly and the general continued.

"I am not sure how significant this will be to you but before you disappeared, peace treaties with Tirol were in the process of construction."

"You said that war with Tirol was eminent, that relations were sour regardless of my apparent death."

"That is true, but some hoped to avoid war by creating a union between the royal families of the two countries. Do you understand what I am saying?"

"There was an arranged marriage, a betrothal," said Mythos.

"Exactly," replied the general. "More specifically, it was an arranged marriage between the Prince and Princess of the two countries. The Tirol Princess Lavender, and you, my prince, Prince Siegfried of Sachsan. You two were arranged to be wed."

"I see," said Mythos. "So my death was taken especially harshly since it was my union with this Princess of Tirol that was supposed to secure peace between the two nations."

"Precisely! Of course, that was many years ago, and with the current relations with Tirol, I feel confident in saying that no such marriage will be expected of you upon your return. I am merely informing you of certain previous events that might have some effect on you and your companion. I believe that this and other information should be provided especially since you don't seem to be aware of anything that happened previous to your disappearance."

Mythos nodded and said, "Thank you, General Heinrich. I appreciate your honesty."

* * *

Fakir entered the house to hear voices floating down the stairs. He requested that the two soldiers remained downstairs while he went upstairs to get Rue.

"It is pronounced _un deux_. Really, Ahiru, your French is terrible."

"I know it is, but I still think it is pretty. I want to improve my French so I can speak as beautifully as you. Then we will have beautiful conversations together and no one will know what we are saying. They will all think, 'My, what lovely young women they are, and so smart to be speaking French together'."

Rue's delighted laugher trickled through the door as Fakir approached it.

Fakir knocked on the door and the soft feminine voices stopped. The sound of footsteps preceded the door opening just enough for the black haired girl to poke her head around the door. "Where have you been? Where is Mythos?"  
"Aren't you going to let me into my own room?"

Rue looked reluctant at first but stepped back to allow Fakir to end. As he entered the room, he saw that Ahiru was propped up with pillows on the bed and the color had returned to her face. He let out a breath of relief he hadn't realized he had be holding.

"Ahiru, you are looking much better," he said. "How are you feeling?"

"I am fine. How are you doing? Rue said that were ill after the battle," Ahiru said. "Are you feeling better?"

Fakir frowned and said, "Don't worry about worthless things, you need to get your own strength up." He turned to Rue and continued, "Why did you alert me when she woke up? I told you that I wanted to know when Ahiru awoke."

Rue smiled mischievously. "I'm afraid I am still as selfish as always, but now for Ahiru's company."

"You have no right to Ahiru, Rue," stated Fakir. "Do not assume that you deserve her friendship after everything you did as the Raven's daughter."

Rue's smile came too easily in response. "It was all a story, wasn't it? We were all manipulated by some magically powerful storyteller. The same power you used to help us defeat the Monster who pretended to be my father." Her smile grew to resemble the smile of a hungry tiger. "A power that was apparently to much responsibility for you."

Fakir's eye's flashed. "What is that supposed to mean?"

Rue's laughter sent chills down Fakir's spine. He suppressed a shudder as Rue said, "Just look at the three of us. Are we really all what we should be right now? Are we in proper form?"

"What are you getting at, Rue?" Fakir replied in a lethal tone.

Rue opened her mouth as if to say something but stopped before a sound came out. For several seconds she seemed almost frozen in time. Soon her face began to move again, displaying emotions that were not apparent a minute before. She was far more subdued and looked almost submissive. Her smile had grown far more agreeable and lost its cat-like maliciousness.

"Nothing, I'm not getting at anything," Rue replied. "Now, where is my husband?"

Fakir had known that Rue and Mythos were still infected by the Monster Raven's blood, but he had no idea their personalities would be so affected by it. _Not that Rue seemed much different_, he thought. _Even without the Raven's blood, she's still a needy school girl, just without that malicious edge_. He wondered if Mythos did the right thing when he chose Rue to be his companion. Wouldn't being together increase the power of the Raven's blood over their behavior? _For now_, he thought, _I'll just have to trust Mythos's judgment. He must have a good reason for wanting Rue with him_.

"Mythos is by the South Gate with the general. There are two soldiers downstairs who will take you to him. You will go with Mythos back to his castle were the King, Mythos's cousin, will meet you."

Rue's brow furrowed in confusion, "Soldiers? Generals? What is all this?"

Fakir shook his head. "Mythos will explain it to you everything to you when you get there. It is too much for me to explain right now."

"Are you sure you are alright?" Ahiru called from the bed. "I think I can stand now, you can take the bed and rest a while. You look very tired."

Fakir waved his hand and said, "I am fine and you are still weak. Stay on the bed. I need to talk to you alone when Rue leaves."

Rue looked to the door but turned back to the bed after a second of consideration. "Good-bye Ahiru, my friend. I am certain our paths will cross again soon."

"Good-bye Rue-chan. May life bring you all the happiness you deserve."

Rue smiled softly and left the room. As she walked down the stairs, she thought of Mythos and said, "It already has."

Fakir pulled up a chair to base of the bed Ahiru lay on.

"It seems that today was very eventful," started Ahiru. "You must be tired, you should try to sleep before we talk. Anything you have to say can wait till morning."

Fakir shook his head dismissively again and replied, "I'll be fine for a few more minutes. Now, Ahiru, what do you plan to do now that the story is over?"

Ahiru looked at him with wide blue eyes. "I haven't thought about it yet. I've just been talking with Rue since I woke."

Fakir looked annoyed. "Well, what were you and Rue talking about, if you were not talking about that?"

"Nothing much. We were talking about you and Mythos and the ballet school. All kinds of things."

Fakir pulled his chair forward and said in a serious tone, "I want you to listen to me, Ahiru. Rue is a very dangerous person. I don't want you to take anything she says seriously."

"What do you mean," asked Ahiru. "You heard her when she left, she called me friend. Rue cares about me; she would do anything to hurt me."

"That's where you're wrong. Rue would hurt you if she thought you were trying to hurt Mythos."

Ahiru looked confused, "Mythos is my friend, why would I want to hurt him?"

Fakir shook his head, "I know you would never intentionally hurt him, but Rue thinks differently of Mythos than you or I. Now listen, Rue will try to extend our roles as characters even now after the story has completed."

"Why? In the story, she had the worst of all the roles. Why would she want to continue that?"

"Because she benefited from the story in the end. Mythos chose her to be his princesses. In classic story tales, this implies that Mythos and Rue were meant for each other and will now live together in blissful harmony. However, that is not the case with those two."

"Why not?" asked Ahiru.

"Rue was not a character in the original story. Her insertion makes it impossible for normal character roles to be applied. Mythos should have picked Princess Tutu, a tragic choice that would have resulted in your death. You should be thankful that Rue allowed for your character to live but do not trust her motives."

"Rue is my friend, she would never do anything to hurt me," Ahiru replied stubbornly.

Fakir snapped in annoyance, "You called her your friend when she stole Mythos from us and tried to feed us all to the Monster Raven! Rue is not a trustworthy person. She is selfish and haughty. She will do whatever she can to keep us from getting close to Mythos. Do not mistake her artistic talent for sensitivity. Be more careful of who you choose to trust."

"That's not true, Rue is a good person!" cried Ahiru. "It is true she has made a lot of mistakes but she deserves a second chance. I pity her for all she has faced in the past but I know that she is strong and will come through when we need her most. She is an amazing person and there is much to admire in here."

"Idiot, don't you know that I'm trying to protect you? Just listen to me and you won't get hurt."

"I know what I want to do now."

Fakir mentally reeled for a moment before he realized she was answering his previous question. "Alright, what do you want to do?"

Ahiru stared up at him with her heart in her eyes. "I want to continue to study ballet at the school. I want to return to my studies as a ballet student."

Fakir nodded and put a hand on his forehead. "I had a feeling you would say that. I understand that you would want to return to a more stable environment but wouldn't you prefer…"

"Come with me."

"What?"

"Come back to school with me," Ahiru said. "You were an excellent ballet student. It would be a shame if you let your talent go to waste."

Fakir hesitated. "Ahiru, do you know why I started studying ballet?"

Ahiru shook her head.

"It was my escape, a refuge for my soul. Now all that is over, I don't need to dance anymore to soothe my spirit. There is no reason for me to go back to that school."

"I think you should come back with me," Ahiru pleaded. "There is always something new you can learn in the arts. Studying ballet will help give you a peace of mind you need now."

Fakir eyes flashed in annoyance. "What makes you think I need peace of mind? Do I seem disturbed?"

Ahiru hesitated then nodded. "Yes, you appear very upset."

Fakir looked away and replied, "It is only because I'm tired. In the morning, I will be better."

Ahiru was unconvinced. "I think there is more to it. I heard Mythos asking you to leave with him to go to his castle. You refused to go with him. The Fakir I know would never refuse Mythos, especially when Mythos asks him especially to go with him. There is something more going on that you are not telling me. I understand that you must have a good reason not to follow Mythos this time and I accept that you do not want to tell me what that reason is. Instead of allowing your self to sink into depression and self-doubt, please follow me back to the school and let yourself sink back into the study of ballet. The art will definitely calm your soul and give you the inner peace you will need now that Mythos is gone."

Ahiru had intended to say more but she saw that Fakir had fallen asleep half lying on the end of the bed, half sitting in his chair. She smiled slightly at the peaceful expression on his sleeping face and took a blanket from the base of the bed and spread it over his shoulders. Feeling the soft fingers of sleep close over her eyes she lay back down on the soft pillows and quickly followed into sweet slumber.

* * *

Author's Note: Okay, so a lot has happened in this chapter. Mythos's past has been briefly explained, Rue was mildly evil, and Fakir has made up his mind to stay in Kinkad… for now. Our favorite little ducky finally got some good lines and displays her steadfast loyalty to her friends. Next chapter we go back to the Fine Arts School and reintroduce Pike and Lillie (I hate them both, but they are Ahiru's best friends, the only people she can really open up to). There will be a bit more about Mythos and Rue who arrive in Salzburg to meet their very interesting cousin. Maybe we can finally work a little humor in between all this drama. I am usually a comedic writer, but with so much plot to get through, I have been neglecting my roots. Originally I only planned up to chapter eight (which is going to be AWESOME!! So be sure to check back when it gets posted) but then Rue started to demand her own character arch so I had to plan that out, then my friend reminded me that this is a Ahiru and Fakir romance fic, so there will have to be some of that as well. Gah! So much to do, so little energy. Now, to eat yummy yummy Greek food! 


	7. Chapter 7

Ahiru's True Form by Madonnalal

Chapter Seven

"_Friendship is Love without his Wings!" _

-Lord Byron

The sun beamed down on the buildings of Kinkad Academy of the Fine Arts, making their white walls gleam like polished marble. The rustic red tile of the hall's roofs seemed to invite the sun's rays with their cheerful color. The green grass in the yard swayed gently in a soft summer breeze. Bright colored flowers were blossoming everywhere. In the middle of the grand courtyard the majestic fountain sent cool clear water spiraling into the air. The light blue sky was filled with puffy white clouds and blue birds. To Ahiru, the scene in front of her was far more than ideal, it was perfection.

The school had always been a place of beauty to her, but now it was filled with something else. While she had enjoyed her time here at the school with her friends, learning ballet from Neko-sensei, she had been distracted by her mission. Half of her mind had always been conspiring about returning Mythos's heart. Without that drive and concentration, it would have been an impossible feat. But now that her task was over, she could finally enjoy the school and the art of ballet with the full-hearted love and admiration they deserved. Ahiru had always worried what would become of her after the story was complete. She feared she would be forced to return to her duck form and forget her time as a girl, ignorant of her adventures in the human world. Now that she was standing here in the front gates of the school, looking at her old school and new home, she finally felt the weight of responsibility drop from her shoulders. She could now return to the study of ballet and it would be _her decision_.

Her new found freedom was dizzying and she let out a half hysterical giggle. Fakir looked down his shoulder to stare at her, half-concern, half- contempt in his eyes. _Fakir always knows how to make my feel so stupid_, thought Ahiru. _I must look like an idiot giggling to myself_. Ahiru quickly recomposed herself and said, "Shall we go in?"

Fakir nodded and led the way to the main castle without a word. They made their way through grand hallways and extravagant corridors. They passed large empty rooms designed for ballet practice and ornately decorated parlors intended for formal receptions. Rich and elaborate murals covered the walls, depicting scenes from assorted fairy tales. Most of the paintings were based on Dosselmeyer's stories. One picture showed a ghostly knight ridding on top a great warhorse, his knife still dripping the blood of his lover. The next was of a young woman alone in her room clutching her at her heart, her face contorted in severe pain. The image of a man's head, presumably the object of the women's pained affections, was visible through her window. A vial of poison and a dagger lay on her desk. Ahiru stopped briefly to admire an especially moving portrait of two swans, one black and one white quarreling over the heart of a young man at the base of the picture. Their wings were arched threateningly at each other and their eyes were angled in fury. When Ahiru turned to comment to Fakir on how the reality was far less anger-filled, she found that he had already turned the corner without her. She glanced back at the clashing swans once more before running to catch up with her friend.

By the time Ahiru reached Fakir's side, they had arrived at the headmistress's office door. Ahiru reached out to open the door but Fakir stopped her.

"Ahiru, before we do this, there is something I want to make clear to you. Returning to school is not your only option. I can ask Charon to allow you to live at my house. You could find another house to live at, perhaps by the pond, and start anew there. You could even leave Kinkad Town, perhaps follow Mythos and Rue. I'm not saying you should," Fakir said quickly. "I'm just informing you of your options. You don't have to return here. I will help you follow whatever path you choose."

Ahiru considered the serious look in Fakir's eyes. "The ballet school is all I know of the human world. It is where I made my friends and where I lived. I am comfortable here. I always thought it would be nice to continue my studies. I feel that there are still important lessons for me to learn here."

"I expected you to say something like that. However, let me say one thing more. You should not feel limited to the ballet school. You are no longer a duck under control. You can choose to be whatever you want to be now."

"What do you mean?" asked Ahiru.

"As a human being, you have the power to control your destiny and make it anything you desire it to be. Humans are allowed dreams and goals that we work hard to achieve. It is our dreams that make us different from other animals. As a duck turned human you should be able to appreciate this philosophy more than anyone. You can be anything you want to be, you just need to decide what it is you want. What is your dream, Ahiru?"

Ahiru looked down shyly and poked her fingers together. "My dream? My dream is to be a ballerina like Princess Tutu. Only this time I want to be able to dance like that without magic. I want to work hard and earn that grace and beauty on my own."

Fakir nodded and smiled. "That's some dream. You certainly set high standards for yourself."

Ahiru looked up anxiously. "Do you think it's too much? Should I have a more realistic dream? I know that I'm not a very talented dancer but I am a hard worker. Maybe if I practice really hard everyday and I try with everything I've got…"

"Then you will certainly become the ballerina you dream of and more," Fakir interrupted with a smile. "I have faith that you will get everything you want. You have a strong spirit that will never fail you. And I will do everything I can to help you, so don't worry. It will take a lot of work, but together, we will make you something incredible."

"You really think so, Fakir?"

Fakir nodded and said, "I am sure of it."

Ahiru's bright smile lit up the hallway with a new dazzling light.

Fakir pulled open the door and held it open for Ahiru to enter. He soon followed her into the headmistress's office.

* * *

The royal castle at Salzburg was impressive, as any royal castle should be. Designed in an early gothic style, it was fitted with towering spires and flying buttresses. Ornate and elaborate masonry decorated the outside of the inner walls. Gargoyles and angels lived peacefully side by side on top the castle walls. The royal grounds were completely surrounded by a large stone wall. This outer wall was constantly patrolled by at least two guardsmen per thirty yards. Each member of the royal guard was outfitted with a single shot pistol, a rapier, a dagger, a bow and a quiver of arrows. Every guard was trained for three years in the Royal Guard Academy to become masters of these four essential weapons. However, the most important item on their bodies was the guard's sounding trumpet. Each direction of the castle had a certain signal the guards would toot on their trumpets to alert the rest of the castle which direction the enemy was approaching from. Past the wall was a large moat. Sticking up from the bottom of the moat were large wooden spikes just visible under the water. The main entrance was the only entrance to the inner castle. A draw bridge had to be lowered each time someone entered the castle then was promptly retracted to prevent unwanted guests wandering into the soft belly of the royal fortress. A person, clever enough to pass the outer wall, swift enough of swim the moat and avoid the pikes, and strong enough to climb the inner wall would then find themselves in the heart of the Royal Guard Academy, the courtyard that served at the practicing grounds of several hundred action-hungry cadets. To say that the castle was impregnable would be arrogant. To say that it was one of the most secure places on earth would be accurate.

The secretary of the general explained these details to Mythos and Rue as the approached the royal grounds in the general's carriage. Johnan Stressen was a tall wiry fellow with thick glasses that made his eyes look too large for his thin face. His curly black hair was oiled flat to his head. He had a slight slouch in his shoulders that he made up for by staring intently into a person's face when he spoke to them. His hard stare and magnified eyes made him look like a particularly scruffy owl. His slight stutter appeared only when he was annoyed or stressed. Unfortunately, despite his haughty bird-like appearance, he had the nerves of a squirrel. He was always anxious about one thing or another, especially after the war began shortly after his assignment to aide General Heinrich.

The general was sitting next to the secretary in the carriage. He had said little during the trip, only opening his mouth to add a detail to Stressen's narrative that had been neglected.

"All of this information will be necessary to you, Prince Siegfried," Stressen said. "E-especially since you will be residing within the royal palace with your cousin."

"How close are we to the Tirol border right now?" asked Mythos.

"About a th-three day trip by horse, a five day trip by foot," answered Stressen.

"And a four day trip to move an army at top speed," added the general.

"Is this the only royal palace?" asked Rue.

Stressen chuckled. "Of course not, this is just the most secure. There is also the winter palace by Brutenplaz and the summer palace further south, by Lake Harmony. Each is superbly designed and decorated, but lacking the proper protective measures that are necessary in the time of war."

"Why is this one built so differently from the other palaces?" inquired Mythos.

"That is because it is not a Sachsan design. Was Sachsans are very simple and peaceful people, normally. It is not in our nature to design a structure like that. The land we are traveling through now is historically Tirolian. They designed and built the castle we are entering now. It was originally a town that was fiercely attacked by wandering bands of thieves and mercenaries. The townspeople built the inner wall and started to contrast the moat. Soon the royal family decided to make that town their royal capital because of its rich commerce and security. They added the outer wall and the drawbridge. However, this was several hundred years ago. The royal family of Tirol eventually moved their capital to a more central location within their country. This castle was abandoned and was eventually taken over by Sachsan after boundaries were redrawn after the Thirty Years War fifty years ago."

"Why would Tirol give up such an impressive fortress, especially with such historical importance to their royal family?" asked Mythos.

Stressen looked a bit embarrassed. "Well, the problem with a fortress isn't just that it's hard to get in to, it's also hard to get out of. So what gets brought in usually can't get out. And in this cause what got in, stayed, and drove out the royal family."

"What was it?" inquired Rue.

"Rats."

"Rats?" Rue exclaimed in disgust. "In a royal city?"

"Don't worry, we f-fixed that problem within a year of inhabiting the castle," assured Stressen. "There is a reason our national animal is a cat."

"A lion," interjected the general, "to be precise."

"Exactly," answered Stressen.

"If I may ask one more question," said Mythos. He looked out the window to see they had already passed over the drawbridge and entered the main courtyard. Hundreds of cadets were in the yard practicing their drills. "What is my cousin like?"

"The K-king? You'll meet him soon enough," said Stressen. The carriage came to a stop and a footman opened the door. Stressen exited first. Mythos moved to follow him but the general held him back.

"Please wait until you have been announced, Your Majesty," said the general. "It is the proper thing."

Stressen's voice rang out through the courtyard, "General Arnold Heinrich accompanied by Prince Siegfried Wilhiem Jonathan Bartholomew Moore and Lady Rue."

"Princess!" hissed Rue under her breath. The general looked placating.

"Soon to be Princess," he said. "Allow for proper ceremony first."

A flurry of whispers erupted from the crowd. A hundred or more nobles appeared out of the surrounding houses and gathered around the carriage. The cadets in the yard had ceased their practice and were starring intently at the carriage door. Even the elderly priest raced out of the grand cathedral and stood on the main stairs craning his neck to see the small but graceful frame of the Prince exit the carriage.

"The Prince," cried out a voice from the crowd. "He is back from the dead!"  
"He lives," cried another.

"Heaven bless us, he lives!"

A great cry erupted from the courtyard accompanied by enthusiastic applause that unsettled doves from their roosts, sending them up into the sky along with the cries, "He lives! He lives!"

* * *

As Ahiru walked across the courtyard she took in the splendid beauty of the Arts School once more. The water in the fountain danced and glittered in the morning sun. The droplets of water seemed to Ahiru like liquid diamonds bursting out of the fountain's pipes. She cheerfully remembered the many times she had used that fountain to transform back into her human form. Her transformations could have been far more graceful if she had ever been able to figure out how to manage to do it while keeping her clothes on. Despite this comical addition to her magical powers, she remembered every transformation with fondness. Already her time as Princess Tutu was growing more distantly in her past. The memories of her adventures were beginning to fade rapidly with time. Now it seemed to Ahiru that the time she spent salvaging the shards of the Prince's lost heat was the Golden Age of her life. The pinnacle of her existence, or so it seemed, had already pasted her by, and all she had to look forward to now was a peaceful but slow life as a ballet student. She knew she should be grateful that she was a human. It certainly beat the alternative, sitting in a pond all day, eating stale bread crumbs and old fish, and unable to communicate with her human friends. But Ahiru could not stop the stab of nostalgia for days as Princess Tutu from piercing her heart.

"Ahiru!" a call came from across the courtyard. Ahiru turned to see two uniform-clad figures running towards her.

"Pike! Lillie!"

Ahiru's two best friends came barreling across the courtyard toward the young redhead. She ran towards them, her heart casting off its melancholy like a warm jacket in July. The three friends embraced each other enthusiastically. It was as if they hadn't seen each other in 5 years rather than the 5 days it had been since they were last all together.

"Ahiru, we were worried sick about you," cried Pike.

Lillie continued, "We didn't know if you were still in Kinkad Town or not. Ever since the gates opened, hordes of people have been leaving. Only half of the students are returning for this semester so far. It seems so lonely here now."

"Not only that," said Pike. "But some of the people who did stay, you wouldn't even recognize them. Neko-sensei turned into a real cat. He's living under the bridge with a wife and a whole litter of kittens. Aardvark-san, however, turned into a girl named Natasha. Only she insists that she's always been that way but I only remember her as an Aardvark. Everything has gone crazy in this town."

"This is all after the whole town turned into Raven-People and we were forced to dance for that giant Demon Raven," Lillie stated. "Something very strange has been going on in Kinkad Town."

"Have you been alright, Ahiru?" asked Pike. "We were so worried about you."

"Yes, I'm fine," said Ahiru with a smile. "I had a fever for a few days, but I am much better now."

"A fever!" exclaimed Lillie excitedly. "Your face gone pale, your cheeks a cherry-apple red, lying in bed, unable to move for days… how cute you must have been!"

"Lillie, enough!" Pike interjected. "Did you stay at your house while you were sick? Is your family alright?"

"My family is…their not… I…" Ahiru hesitated. What could she say? She had no family or house. She had lied to Pike and Lillie all this time whenever they asked about her life beyond the school. It always made her feel guilty since she knew that they were always honest with her. However, how could she make them believe that she was really a duck who turned into a girl? Was this the right time to tell her friends about her adventures as Princess Tutu?

"It's okay if you don't want to tell us, Ahiru," said Pike. "I know what it is like to have a family you don't wish to talk about."

Ahiru looked up in surprise. Pike stared down at the ground with unusual intensity. Lillie put her hand on Pike's shoulder and said, "You didn't have to mention that, just be quiet."

"Pike, is everything alright with your family? What's wrong?"

Pike continued to stare at the ground as she explained. "I lived my entire life in Kinkad Town with my family until I started to attend the school here. There are many generations of my family still alive including my great grandmother who moved here when she was still a young woman. Now she is a very old woman with a very long memory. However, as soon as the gates around the town opened, it seems that so did a door inside her mind opened as well. She told my mother about her homeland, a place to the east, where there are fields full of sunflowers and green hills spotted with white lambs. She talks about it like it was a paradise on earth. We asked her why she didn't mention this place before. She told us that when she came to Kinkad Town one stormy night when her horse was spooked by the lighting and she bolted off the road and into the woods. She rode for hours on that horse, holding on for dear life, as the beast ran out of control through the dark forest. Suddenly, she found herself inside the closed gates of Kinkad Town, without a clue of she got in or why she came there. She started a new life. She married a good man, and raised her children in this town. Her children had children, and so did theirs, till I came along. It wasn't until a few days ago, when the gates opened and those army men came pouring in, that she remembered the place of her birth and the journey that brought her here."

"But what is so bad about that?" asked Ahiru. "I think it's a wonderful story."

Pike looked up at Ahiru with serious eyes. She glanced behind her with a suspicious look. The courtyard was empty. The only people in sight were by the gate to the girl's dormitory. A firm looking teacher had a young boy by the ear and was leading him away from the building. Judging by the boy's shameful red face, he had been caught peaking in the windows of girls' rooms.

Pike leaned into Ahiru ear and whispered, "My great-grandmother is a proud citizen of Tirol, the country that army hates so much. If they find out my family is Tirolian, they might suspect that we are spies and arrest us."

"But you have done nothing wrong!" cried Ahiru. "You just said that you lived your entire life in Kinkad Town. Until a few days ago, we had never even heard of Tirol. How could you be a spy for a country you've never seen?"

Lillie shook her head. "It is not fair, but already some of the families with Tirolian features have been detained by that army. It is only a matter of time that Pike and her family are questioned and possibly arrested. It is a miracle that they haven't been found out already."

"What does a Tirolian look like?" asked Ahiru.

Pike and Lillie shrugged their shoulders. "My great grandmother is fair skinned with white hair that was once blonde," explained Pike. "I don't know what the rest of the nation looks like but you can be sure I look nothing like her."

"The people the army took looked completely normal to me," continued Lillie. "But the soldiers insisted that one man had a Tirolian nose. Another woman was picked out for the Tirolian colors in her shawl."

"There is something worse," said Pike. "The reason my great-grandmother was riding out in a storm that night was because she was carrying a letter from a Tirolian official to his agent somewhere in Sachsan."

A cold pang jolted through Ahiru's abdomen. "Your great-grandmother was a spy."

Pike looked like she was about to cry. "I don't know, she said that she didn't remember what the message was about. She just tried her best to deliver it as fast as she could."

"It doesn't matter what was in the message," said Lillie. "The fact there was a letter is enough to convict Pike's entire family. This army is suspicious of everyone in this town. I don't blame them was all the strange occurrences that have happened over the past few weeks."

Ahiru turned to Lillie and asked, "How about your family? Are you suspected of anything?'

Lillie shook her head. "My family has lived in Kinkad for hundreds of years. If we ever had a spy in our family, they surely died countless years ago."

"Ahiru, you must tell no one what I have just told you," pleaded Pike with tears building in her eyes. "You have been a good friend to me ever since we started at this academy. I have always felt a sincere spirit in you. I know that you will never betray me or my family. That's why I feel I can tell you my secret."

"Of course I won't," swore Ahiru. "You too have been a wonderful friend to me. You too, Lillie."_ Should I tell them now?_ Ahiru thought. _They have put their faith in me with their secrets; I must trust them to do the same for me._

"I have a confession to make to you both. I have never been truly honest with you. At times I have outright lied to you about my life outside this school, but I beg you not to hold it against me. I did this in order to protect you from the terrible truths that exist in Kinkad Town, but now I see that I was doing you a dishonor. I should have been honest with you from the beginning about my origins and my mission."

Pike and Lillie looked at each other in confused. "Mission? Ahiru, you're not a spy too are you?"

Ahiru smiled a little and shook her head. "No, it's nothing like that. It's just that… I never…Well, you know how my name means 'Duck'?"

* * *

Rue had never seen such riches in her entire life. The castle was simply bursting with lavish gold carvings, brilliant jewels, and ornate tapestries. The walls were covered in hand painted murals. The window curtains were all made of the finest eastern silk. Even the carpets were made from the highest quality velvet. She could hardly believe the amount of wealth that was surrounding her. It felt more like a dream.

She glanced over to her beloved Mythos. He was walking beside her, following Stressan absent-mindedly, apparently deep in thought. The glamorous rooms they were walking through didn't seem to make an impression on him. She assumed that Mythos had become accustomed to such extravagant surroundings a long time ago. She assumed that he had grown up in a palace decorated just as lavishly as this one. She could imagine Mythos as a small boy, his white hair cut sharply around his face to bring out his enormous amber eyes. He would walk like a gentlemen already and wear fancy expensive clothing. His manners would be finely trained and he would drink his tea with his little finger pointed out. The image of this pint-sized Mythos filled her with uncontrollable glee. She giggled into her hand but quickly suppressed her entertainment. She was sure that giggling was not a very lady-like behavior.

The sound of Rue's laughter broke Mythos's train of thought. He had been trying to force himself to remember this castle that they were in now. Surely, if he was Prince Siegfried, he would have some knowledge of this place. But not matter how hard he concentrated, no familiarity appeared to him where ever he looked. No painting or tapestry triggered any previous recollection. No turn of the hall or room design filled him with nostalgia. Finally Mythos was forced to admit that he had no memory of this castle. The thought chilled him. He was certain of his identity, but he couldn't recall any memory of his life before his imprisonment in Kinkad Town. For all that he loved his friends in Kinkad and his affection for the town; he was imprisoned there by the spell.

Mythos looked over at Rue, who had now stopped giggling and had fixed her face to show no emotion. Her shoulders were thrown back and her chin was sticking unnaturally into the air. She appeared to be parodying Mythos's natural princely pose. For someone how didn't know Rue very long, they would have supposed that she was a well-bred noble who had been trained to walk like that. To Mythos, however, he could tell that she was trying too hard not to look like a commoner, and instead looked rather silly.

"Relax your shoulders," he whispered to her. "And lower you chin. Keep your eyes level at all times but do not make any extra effort to look forward. It will only make you look stiff."

Rue complied too his instructions. The change was immediate. Her natural grace took over and she glided down the hallway like a fallen angel. She didn't look like a noble woman anymore, instead she had her own poise of power. It was a stance that was unique to Rue. It was part of the reason Mythos loved her. Rue always had a way about her that wasn't completely stuck up, but constantly reminded others that she was in her own way better than them. To some, it would make her seem intimidating or unapproachable. To Mythos, it was fascinating and very becoming of a Princess.

"You look beautiful," he whispered again. "Just don't try to hard to look dignified. You're already above most of these noblemen even if I didn't display my preference for you."

Rue blushed prettily and replied back in a hushed voice, "I feel like a fish out of water in this place. Everything is so strange and intimidating. I have no idea how to act, should anyone try to approach me here."

Mythos reached over and took her hand. It was just for a second, but he gave it a reassuring squeeze. "Don't worry," he said softly. "Just follow my lead, and you will be fine."

Rue smiled her first genuine smile that day. "Do you remember this castle?" she asked. "From before you came to Kinkad?"

Mythos frowned slightly but answered gently, "No, but I've been trying to. There is so much I don't remember, but there are other things that stand out very clearly. I know who I am. I know how I was manipulated in the story. I know what it means to be a Prince and what my duty is to my country." He shook his head and rubbed his eyes in frustration. "But I don't remember the specific details I need to be an effective leader. I remember now that my country's name is Sachsan. I remember my cousin's name is Byron. I think he is married to a girl named Charlotte or Cheryl, but I don't remember exactly. It just seems so long ago that I was here."

Rue looked at him pityingly as he cried, "I have to get my memory back!"

Stressen looked over his shoulder with a dull interest before turning back to guiding the two royals through the endless hallways to their destination.

"It will come back," Rue assured him, resting her hand on his arm. "It will just take some time."

Stressen stopped suddenly in front of an especially well crafted door. The door itself was cast iron wrought with gold foil. It was highly decorated with pictures of the moon in each of its phases, images seen through telescopes, and several scenes from epic histories. _Whoever is beyond this door was obviously highly educated and respected_, Mythos thought.

Stressen knocked three times on the spectacular door. A muffled yell was heard from within which the trio took to be an invitation. Stressen opened the door and held it for the two others to enter. Mythos and Rue passed through the door into a room most unlike any of the others that they had passed through. This room had been design just as richly as the rest of the castle but had been cluttered with loose papers and laboratory equipment. Books piled up on the numerous lab stations and desks and covered every inch of the walls. Light filtered in through window that were fashioned with silk curtains, but were reinforced by woolen drapes. There was one lone figure, laboring vigorously at the desk, his body dwarfed in comparison to the clutter on his desk. The door, closed behind them, leaving Mythos and Rue alone with the sole inhabitant of the laboratory.

"Come in, come in!" wheezed the old man from behind the desk. He didn't look up to see his guests but turned his attention to an especially large tome that appeared to be entitled _Philosophies of Chemistry Involving Simultaneous Reactions_.

"Don't mind the mess and it won't mind you! Come right in and clear off a chair." The command was easier given than enacted. Every surface of the room was thoroughly cluttered by papers, books, and lab equipment.

Mythos and Rue tried their best to clear a couple chair and sat themselves in front of the desk. Unfortunately, now that they were sitting, they could not longer see the old man behind the masses of books that piled up on the desk. They could only hear the faint mutterings of the old geezer as he computed several equations in his head then frantically scribbled down the results on a piece of parchment. This went on for several minutes before Mythos called out, "Monsieur, if you please. I believe you wished to speak with us."

"My wishes at the moment are occupied in chemical ventures at the moment, good sir. You will have to wait till they have been more suitably satisfied before I can review your case. Perhaps you should come back later."

"I am not a 'sir', I'm afraid," Mythos said, with all modesty attached. "I am 'Your Majesty, Prince Siegfried'."

An abrupt snort from the opposite side of the wall of books and papers told Mythos and Rue that the old man was not convinced. "If you are the dead Prince Siegfried, then I am a rubber ball filled with helium."

"Then I advise you to hold on more firmly to your chair so that you do not float off into the heavens," replied Mythos with a touch of amusement.

The sound of shuffling papers and books preceded a hole erupting from the wall of books and the face of a squinting old man was revealed. The face examined Mythos his unabashed intensity before falling slack with shock.

"By Galileo's Postulates, it is you. Your Majesty," exclaimed the wizened creature. This old man looked as old as Mythos truly was. His face was an almost incoherent mass of wrinkles. The mouth had collapsed into itself and the nose was now but a fleshy lump in the terrain of the man's face. He was as bald as an egg and the light reflected brightly off his great lumpy head. His eyes, however, were great glittering diamonds that shone behind golden spectacles with a greater intensity than all the gold in the castle combined. But was pleased Mythos the most was the faint gleam of recognition that sparked within him as soon as he beheld that wizened face.

"Professor Krinkle, am I correct," Mythos said, smiling fondly.

"Yes, it is I," the professor muttered, still overcome with astonishment. "It is you, Siegfried, not an imposter."

"It is I," said Mythos, smiling wider. "It took me a few hundred years, but I have finally returned to my favorite tutor."  
"Ha!" the professor cackled, "Your only tutor, you mean."

Mythos smile faltered, "My only tutor? Are you sure?"

"The only tutor worth mentioning to be sure," the profession said with a dismissive wave of his hand. Mythos's uncertainty mounted.

"You taught Mythos as a young boy, then," Rue interjected. "What was he like?"

"Well, he is still young yet but… Hold on, did you say 'Mythos'?" said the old man.

Mythos nodded, "That is the name I went by in Kinkad Town. It is the name my friends prefer to call me."

The old man scratched his head in curiosity and mumbled, "He was a very bright boy, the best student I ever had. He always wanted to hear my crazy theories about Copernican models and Von Guericke spheres." He shook his head in disbelief, "I never wanted to believe you were really dead, but I could never argue that you had lived. There was just too much evidence against it."

Mythos nodded, "For all practical purposes, I might as well have been dead, but now I am back, and I need your help."

"If it is my assistance you require, then you will have my unsurpassed cooperation for whatever use you could have of me! I am most humbly at your service, Your Majesty!"

"I warn you, my trouble come from no physical affliction. It is your knowledge and experience that I need; or rather, my own."  
"I'm afraid that even with my own magnificent brain I can not follow the subject of our discourse. What is it that you wish of me?"

Mythos replied, "Unfortunately, the years that I have been robbed of in this time have in turn stolen away my memories."

"Hmm, amnesia, I see," murmured Professor Krinkle. "That is a travesty."

"What I ask of you is to reteach me my life, as it was, up until my disappearance," Mythos stated simply.

The professor nodded. He then inclined his head toward Rue. "And this lady's purpose for being here…"

"Is to learn along with me, as she is my intended bride and has a right to all information that is given to me," Mythos completed the statement. Rue blushed slightly but smiled in satisfaction.

"I am a good student and a hard worker," she told the professor. "I will do my best to learn whatever you have to teach me."

"It is an entire lifetime that I must teach you both," warned the professor. "And a complex life at that."

"We will do our best to understand you," replied Mythos. "Please, commence."

The professor shrugged, and started without introduction into his narrative. "You were born in the Brutenplaz palace on a cold winter day. You were a weak child at first but possessed a strong spirit. It was said that you would become one of the greatest rulers of our time by the time you were four years old when you delegated a number of your favorite toys be given to some of your playmates…"

* * *

"Good work, class. Everyone, don't forget to practice on your own. By the end of the week I want you all to be able to _en pointe_ without wincing," sang out the teacher.

Now that Neko-sensei turned into a real cat, a new teacher for the intermediate class was assigned. Dubois-sensei was a slender middle aged man with years of experience traveling around in a professional ballet troupe. He was famous for his kind-heartedness and his deep love of dance.

"That includes you, Diana." Diana, a pump girl a year older than Ahiru, blushed and nodded to the teacher mutely. Diana had been Alligator-san for several years until she was returned to her human form.

"Yes, teacher!" chorused the class.

The students ran to pick up their bags from the wall and herded into the changing room. They all talked cheerfully as they changed into their uniforms. One group of three changed further away from the rest in a corner, speaking to each other in whispers.

"I wish I hadn't fallen down while we practiced pirouettes," Ahiru was saying. "My backside is so sore. I can barely lift my leg over my waist now."

"To bad you couldn't have been a swan," Pike whispered. "Perhaps ballet would have come more easily to you."

"I think its wonderful Ahiru is a duck. I always thought ducks were a lot cuter than swans. Their always crashing into things and making those funny little noises," piped Lillie.

"Honestly, I can't figure out which is more surprising, that you were a duck who was turned into a human or that Fakir-senpei has come to pick you up from every class for two weeks," grumbled Pike as she shoved her locker shut. "I thought Mythos-senpei was your type. You were supposed to leave Fakir-senpei to me."

Ahiru blushed bright red at this. "It's not like that between me and Fakir! We are just friends! We went through a lot together and now we get along very well."

Ahiru had told Pike and Lillie as much about her adventures as she could. She had left out several details, however. For instance, she didn't tell them the identity of Princess Claire or what Fakir's power was. She didn't think it was her place to tell her friends' secrets to anyone without their permission. However, since Fakir had been visiting her frequently since she came back to school after his classes were finished, she had to tell Pike and Lillie about his role as the knight in the story to satisfy their confusion. Lillie seemed very surprised but it appeared that Pike had already suspected this. She had watched Fakir long enough to know he was extremely protective of Mythos and that he played a role in the story only made sense. If anything it helped to increase her respect of her 'Fakir-senpei'.

"He never looks happy when he comes after class everyday," remarked Lillie as the three girls grabbed their bags and headed for the door. "Could it be that Ahiru is fighting for yet another hopeless love?" Lillie's eyes hearted at the possibility.

Ahiru grabbed her head and squeezed her eyes shut. She cried, "It's not like that! I don't like Fakir! I don't!"

It was a pity that Ahiru choose that moment to close her eyes since it let to a misfortunate happenstance. The object of her claimed adamant disapproval was standing outside the girl's locker room door, leaning causally against the opposing wall, though, thankfully, seemly ignorant of Ahiru's previous declaration. Upon seeing him there, Ahiru immediately shoved her fist in her mouth while turning a violent shade of red.

"Kyuu…" she murmured around her fist, not daring to meet Fakir's eyes.

"Hello, Fakir-senpei," Pike said with a shy smile.

"We were just talking about you," Lillie said perkily. Ahiru murmured again but in a more protestant moan.

Fakir raised an unimpressed eyebrow. "Oh?" he said. He turned to Ahiru and said, "Are you ready?" Ahiru nodded, still not able to look him in the eye. Fakir nodded politely to Pike and Lillie then turned to leave. Ahiru followed him without protest, still gnawing on her fist.

They walked out of the main building into one of the lesser courtyards. They passed through gardens and small parks. They walked without a work for some time before Fakir looked over his shoulder and said, "Why are you eating your hand? I can't imagine it's because of the taste."

Ahiru finally let her hand drop to her side and replied in small voice, "It's just a nervous habit. Pike and Lillie were teasing me… about something… and I…"

Fakir sighed. "Why do you let your friends tease you so much? If you don't like it, you should stand up to them."

Ahiru looked scandalized. "I could never tell them to stop! That is how it has always been with my friends. They tease me to make me laugh at myself when I'm thinking too seriously. They help me see the lighter side of my problems. That's what friends are for."

Fakir looked thoughtful at this. "A friend is a person who taunts you for your own good?"

"That's not quite it," replied Ahiru. "A friend is a person who makes you laugh and helps you feel good about yourself. Even when it seems that everything in your life is falling apart a friend is there to make you smile and make you grateful for all the good things you have."

Fakir's face was unreadable. They had walked to the edge of the Academy's grounds. They were passing over a white bridge covered in potted flowers. The stream beneath them was stocked with coy and goldfish to keep the water free of insects. Fakir stopped walking and stared down at goldfish under the bridge. Ahiru watched him closely, unsure whether to approach him or keep her distance. Fakir stood, his elbows rested on the edge of the bridge. He appeared to be thinking very hard.

"I wonder then, if I was ever a friend to Mythos," he said suddenly. "I loved him like a brother, but I never made him smile or laugh. I did what I could to keep him safe, but he wasn't happy when he was with me. He was always wandering off and getting into trouble. I tried to keep him locked up, but it never worked. I restricted what he read, what he ate, and who he talked to. I did all I could for him, but now I don't know if it really mattered in the end."

"Of course it mattered!" Ahiru cried. "You were Mythos's best friend as well as his protector. It is possible to be both."

"How can you be?"

"You don't have to smother someone to protect them and you don't have to make someone laugh to be their friend. A friend can be a protector and a knight can be a companion. Mythos cared for you, I'm sure of it. Especially now that Mythos has his heart back…"

"Now that he has his heart back he has no further need for me," Fakir said gravely. "I fulfilled my part of the story, even acceded my own expectations. However, no matter what any one says, I know that Mythos can do anything on his own. He is very intelligent and braver than I will ever be. He doesn't need some ballet dancing teenager to tell him what to do anymore."

"Don't you see? This is when Mythos needs you the most! This is where your role as a friend is most important! Now that he has his heart back, you can be the kind of friend that makes him laugh and the kind of protector that doesn't oppress him," Ahiru cried.

Fakir smiled wanly. "You have the same claim to Mythos's friendship and you did far more to return his heart for him that I ever could. Why aren't you at Mythos's side right now?"

Ahiru was taken aback. She hesitated to answer then spoke slowly, "Well, he chose Rue as his Princess, didn't he? That means that she is the one that he wants to be with. Of course, if he ever asks for his help, I'll go to him. For now, I just want to stay here and study."

"So, you don't go to him because you don't think he needs your help anymore. Now that our role in the story is over, our usefulness has expired," Fakir said. "It's probably true. Mythos is the most remarkable person I have ever met. He will be able to overcome any obstacle. Even if we were to follow him, he would certainly drift into higher circles, growing ever more distant from us. After all, what wisdom could two ballet students give a prince who is surrounded by nobles and royal advisors."

Ahiru was somber in her reply, "It doesn't feel right here, does it? This school isn't the same without him and Rue. Every day in class I look for their faces, hoping that they might have come back for a visit. I miss them both so much."

Fakir shrugged and returned his attention to the fish. They were both quiet for awhile. Fakir stared down at the goldfish with undue intensity. Ahiru stood back and watched Fakir's back. Finally Ahiru broke the silence. "How about we make an agreement?"

Fakir looked over his shoulder at her. "What kind of agreement?

"Let's promise each other that if we ever find out something that could help Mythos or Rue, or there is a job that only we can do for them, we will go to their side for as long as they require us. Together."

Fakir seemed to consider this for a few minutes. He stared back down at the fish one last time before turning to face Ahiru. He walked up to her and put out his hand for her to take. "That sounds like a fair agreement. It's a deal."

Ahiru smiled and took his hand. It was rougher than she expected but warm. He gripped her hand tightly and shook it once before letting go. Ahiru had a slightly fuzzy feeling in her head as she stared up into Fakir's deep green eyes. She couldn't quite place the emotion, but soon decided to call it satisfaction.

"Of course, what kind of information are two fourteen-year-olds going to find out that will be of any importance to a prince," Fakir said with a cynical smile.

* * *

Urza-chan wandered through the camp, fulfilling her curious nature with these strange men called 'soldiers' who apparently carried long metal sticks, walked back and forth, and made 'hr-umph' noises every once and awhile. She had followed one group of these men for a week now. She had meant to go back to Charon's house two weeks ago, but with so many new strange things to investigate, she didn't have time to leave for a second to ask them what any of it meant.

Now it seemed that the soldiers were packing up their tents and sticking their bags onto carts to be carried back for them as they marched on foot. Urza-chan always tried to keep out of sight while she spied on these men. No one ever noticed her. Now she crept past two soldiers that were wearing lots of metals pieces on their chests. She had come across lots of that kind of soldiers. They didn't do as much walking as the rest and talked much louder. Their words were clear as she past by them unnoticed.

"There is a boy at the castle right now claiming to be Prince Siegfried," said the first one.

"You're kidding me! After all these years, he just turns up out of the blue," replied to second.

"Well, he says he is. I hope for his sake that he isn't, otherwise he could be in for a lot of trouble."

The second nodded in agreement. "For the crown prince to show up in the middle of all this mess is sure going to ruin some noblemen's plans. The Baron of Tilly has profited greatly from this war and has a fierce temper. No doubt he'll try to remove this 'prince' from the picture before he starts to gain any power or popularity."

"'Tis a shame though," declared the first, whipping his forehead with a red handkerchief. "If he is the crown prince, he chose a poor time to reappear. He should have waited till Tirol was defeated before showing his face. This country could have used a kid like him."

Urza-chan considered these words carefully but she couldn't make sense of them. Instead she wandered off into the woods, back toward Kinkad Town. Fakir would know what the men were talking about and would explain it all to her.


	8. Chapter 8

Ahiru's True Form

Chapter Eight

The weather was beginning to turn. The days were getting shorter and the leaves were alternating shades of orange and red. The weather was still mild but a chill could be felt in the wind. The fountain in the middle of the courtyard was due to be turned off soon so Ahiru, Lillie, and Pike sat on one of the benches taking in the last few days of aquatic glory before it was shut down for the winter.

"Ahiru, if you're a duck, do you get a little sad when you look at the water?" Lillie asked.

Ahiru shrugged. "Sometimes, I guess. I don't really miss being a duck. I like having friends and practicing ballet as a human."

"Can ducks not be friends?" asked Pike.

"Not the same way humans can. I could follow you around, eat some of your bread, maybe quack at you if something is wrong, but I could never talk to you or hold your hand." She hesitated. "Or return pieces of your heart to you." She muttered under her breath.

They were silent for a bit before Pike said, "Ahiru, why are you still here?"

Ahiru looked up confused. "Here at the school? Because I wanted to come back. I love this school and I love ballet. Even if I'm not very good at it," she finished with a little frown.

"No, Ahiru," said Lillie. "What she meant was why are you still human?"

Ahiru hesitated but then nodded in understanding. "I know what you mean. Now that Mythos has his heart back, there is no reason for me to still be here."

"Everyone else who was turned into an Animal became a person or a regular animal," Pike explained. "You are the only one who didn't turn back into what they were before the story."

Lillie looked thoughtful. "Maybe Ahiru was a human girl who was turned into a duck by a nasty witch. Then when the story began she lost all her memories and thought she was a regular duck. The storyteller gave her that pendent which temporarily broke the spell but when the story ended, the spell was broken permanently. Oh Ahiru, that's so romantic!"

Ahiru looked doubtful. "If that was the case my memories would have returned when the story ended as well and I would be hundreds of years old."

Lillie shrugged. "I like my story. It makes you sound more mysterious."

"I've got it!" cried Pike. "Ahiru, you were kept human so you would end up with the prince in the end! You're his true love. You were the one who returned all the pieces of his heart to him. Not to mention you've had a crush on him forever. It makes perfect sense!"

"No, that can't be it!" Ahiru yelped. "Mythos chose Rue. It was her confession that broke the Monster Raven's spell. They belong together. Didn't you see how wonderful they were together?"

"I thought it was Princess Tutu's confession that was supposed to break the spell in the story," Lillie said. Pike nodded.

"See, that proves it. You were meant for the Prince. Rue's character was never in the story so she couldn't be his true love. The prince was supposed to fall for Princess Tutu. Rue stole your happy ending away from you."

"No! No, you've got it all wrong! Rue is my friend. If anything she saved my life by confessing. After Princess Tutu confesses in the story she disappears in a flash of light…"

"And when the light is gone, perhaps what is left is a clumsy school girl with a heart of a princess and the soul of a duck," finished Lillie.

"When the light disappears, Princess Tutu is dead," stated Ahiru.

A cold breeze blew threw the courtyard causing all the girls to shudder against the chill.

"Ahiru, wouldn't you be happy to be the Prince's true love? I thought you liked him," inquired Pike.

Lillie nodded enthusiastically. "Your little ducky heart yearned desperately for him for a whole year. You were so cute! Always blushing and stammering every time he was around. Oh Ahiru, it was all you dreamed about!"

"I wasn't just that," Ahiru said softly. "I was also working to return his heart. Of course I liked him. He was such a beautiful person. I couldn't help but want to help him."

"Ahiru," Pike said kindly with a small smile. "You didn't just like Mythos, did you? You were in love with him."

Ahiru turned a violent shade of red and stuck her head between her knees.

"Oh Ahiru!" cried Lillie, her eyes hearting. "How cute!"

"It wasn't just because of the story," Pike continued softly. "You were really in love with the Prince. You would have confessed to the Prince if Rue hadn't said it first. She really did save your life, didn't she?"

"Unrequited love, betrayal, and uncovered emotions! Ahiru, how marvelous!" Lillie leap on Ahiru back and started hugging her violently. "Don't worry, my darling. Pike and I will help you get all better."

"You're not helping!" screamed Pike.

"Yes, I am." Lillie pouted.

"I did."

Pike and Lillie stopped arguing and looked down at Ahiru's reemerging face. It was covered in tears.

"I did love Mythos. More than I could possibly say. But what does that matter now? He chose Rue and now he lives off in a castle surrounded by royalty. I got left behind. I know I should be happy for them. They are both my friends. I love Rue as well. She's so beautiful and regal. She was like a princess all along. She deserves to live happily ever after."

"But she took your happily ever after," Pike said softly.

"No," said Ahiru. "Princess Tutu is a tragic character. If I had confessed to Mythos I would have died. Rue saved my life, and I'm grateful to her. But that doesn't make my feelings for Mythos any less real."

They were all silent for awhile. Suddenly Pike turned to Ahiru and said, "Wait, the spell is over now isn't it? You could go to the castle now and confess to Mythos without dying right now. It's only fair that he knows how you felt about him so he can know that he could have you instead. You are the one who returned him heart. You should have an equal bid on it."

"Mythos already chose Rue," stated Ahiru. "I'm not going to confess to him when he is already in love with one of my best friends. I couldn't do that to her."

"Yes, but that doesn't mean they belong together," argued Pike. "I mean, look and me and Fakir. I've always liked him, the same way you liked Mythos."

Ahiru whirled around, "What! You never said that!"

Pike shrugged. "It was implied. I know I'll never be with him, but I've always admired him. He's dark and mysterious, and a talented dancer. He's everything I've ever wanted in a boy and everything I want to be. He's so wonderful, but he isn't for me. You have a chance at the man you've always loved. Take it, if not for your sake than for mine."

Lillie nodded as well. "You should tell him, Ahiru. It is the right of a maiden to let her man know how she feels. Besides, even if he rejects you, you'll always have us to come crying back to."

Ahiru looked thoughtful for awhile. When she opened up her mouth to reply she heard her name being called from across the courtyard.

"Ahiru!"

Fakir was running around the courtyard toward them at top speed. He slowed as he approached them.

"Ahiru, I've looked everywhere for you."

"Is something wrong, Fakir?" she asked. He was panting, his hands gripping above his knees, trying to catch his breath. Ahiru could suddenly see him though Pike's eyes. His hair curved around his face, accentuating the masculine curves in his jaw. His green eyes were flashing from his recent exercise. When he stood, he didn't have the same regal bearing as Mythos but a more powerful stance born of his extensive physical training. A sudden understanding came over her, why so many girls chose to like Fakir rather than Mythos. There was something very commanding about his presence. It was almost scary.

"We have to go back to my house." He said still breathing heavily. "Urza-chan came back."

"Urza!" Ahiru cried, jumping up to follow Fakir.

"Ahiru, who is Urza? Why do you have to go now?" Pike yelled at her receding back.

"I'll explain later, promise!" Ahiru yelled over her shoulder as she ran after Fakir out of the school yard.

The fire in the stone fireplace had reduced to ashes and was in desperate need of wood. The inhabitants of the room, however, were unconcerned with the dying flames and barely noticed the dimming light.

Fakir sat at the head of the table, arms crossed with a deathly serious expression on his face. Ahiru was seated two chairs away looking interested but blank-faced, as if she knew something really important just happened but she was still attempting to grasp the vastness of the issue. Charon stood behind Urza, who sat innocently on the table top, her snare drum resting in her lap.

"So this Baron of Tilly is a man of great power and is an enemy of Prince Siegfried?" prompted Charon kindly.

Urza shrugged in confusion. "I didn't understand the silly men-zura. They were speaking very fast and they were always moving. I think there is something wrong with their heads-zura."

"So you're not sure you heard them correctly, then," Fakir said stiffly. "We don't know if there is any Baron of Tilly, or that he poses a serious threat to Mythos."

"But Fakir," Ahiru said, "what if he is real? What if he does want to hurt Mythos? We have to warn him."

Fakir shook his head. "Mythos is at a castle, surrounded by political advisors, who are all well informed and experienced. Any one of those men will know that this Baron might try to disprove Mythos's identity, and will advise him accordingly."

"That is of course if these advisors truly want Mythos to take the crown," Charon replied softly. Ahiru and Fakir turned to look at him. "Children, forgive me for calling you that, but you will always be children to me, the world is not a fair place. We all know that Mythos is Prince Siegfried. We know that he is the rightful heir to the throne and that he never died in a freak accident. However, there has been a war raging for four and a half years. A war that has taken homes, destroyed lives, and fueled many men's careers. While many people want this war to end, others want their losses to have some meaning. It is much better to think that you have been the victim of a valiant crusade to avenge the death of your Prince rather than an unfortunate misunderstanding. The political advisors in the castle may seek to avoid an uprising against the war by claiming that Mythos is a fake."

"But they know that Mythos is the Prince! How couldn't they?" cried Ahiru.

"They probably do know. Those men have probably known Mythos since he was a baby. They know him even better than we do. But that isn't going to stop some people from avoiding an unpleasant truth," replied Charon.

"Is the Prince and Princess in danger-zura?" Urza asked.

"We don't know yet," grumbled Fakir. "That's what we are discussing."

"If what Urza and Charon said is true, they could be in a lot of danger. They might need out help," said Ahiru.

"And what could we do for them," snapped Fakir. "We're just two ballet students who have never been outside of Kinkad Town. Mythos and Rue are in the middle of a spiral of political intrigue that has been going on for countless years, spurned by the rivalry of neighboring countries, nearing the climax of a war that has been fueled by feelings of national distrust and suspicion. What are we supposed to do about it?"

"I don't know," Ahiru said. "But I know that our place is by Mythos and Rue. We promised that we would go to them together if we knew they were in trouble."

"No, what we promised was if we knew we were in danger and we were the only people that could help them, we would go help them out."

"Exactly," said Ahiru. "That's what I said."

"No, what you said was that Mythos and Rue are in trouble. But they are in the kind of trouble that we can't do anything about. Therefore, we are not obligated to go to them since that was the second condition of the promise."

"Why are we having this argument? We are their friends. We shouldn't be arguing about promises or conditions. We should already be leaving."

"Fine, you go," Fakir yelled. "Just leave me here in Kinkad. Go to Mythos and Rue if you think it's so important."

Ahiru blinked in surprise. "What are you talking about? I'm not going to leave you behind."

"Well, I'm not leaving Kinkad, so if you go to Mythos you'll be leaving me behind," Fakir stated.

"Why won't you come with me?"

Fakir waved his hand, physically dismissing the question. "Once you get there, what are you going to do? Drink tea with Rue? Wear a pretty dress in the court? Make faces at Mythos?"

"I'm going to help my friends who are in danger of losing everything they ever worked for. I'm going to make sure that Mythos gets his birth right and that the hundreds of years he spent here in Kinkad don't rob him of the life he should have," Ahiru declared.

"How?" Fakir demanded.

"I don't know, but I know I have to go! And if your not going to come with me, I will go by myself," Ahiru cried.

Fakir's eyes flashed. "A girl can't travel through a worn torn country by herself. She'll be robbed, hurt, or killed."

"What do you care? You just told me to leave without you."

"You can't go by yourself, and that's final."

"I can go with Ahiru," Urza said delightfully. "Then she won't be alone-zura!"

Fakir immediately grew very tense. "No, that's even worse. Urza-chan will draw even more attention to you. You need a proper escort."

"Like a knight?" muttered Charon.

Ahiru, Fakir, and Urza turned to look at Charon who stepped forward into the last of the dying light from the glowing embers in the fireplace.

"Ahiru, are you determinded to go?" Charon asked softly.

"Yes, I am," Ahiru replied instantly.

"And Urza-chan, are you going with her?" Charon asked the puppet.

"Yes-zura! I want to see the castle with the Prince and Princess-zura!"

"Then it looks like you don't have a choice, Fakir. You're going as well," Charon stated softly with a smile.

Fakir was furious. "What, are you ordering me to go? Are you telling me what to do?"

"No," Charon said calmly. "I know that as a knight, you would never let Ahiru and Urza-chan leave Kinkad Town without your supervision. That is your noble duty."

Fakir narrowed his eyes in annoyance. "Don't be stupid, Charon. I'm not a knight. I never was. I'm just a boy wish a strange scar. Even in the story I was a failed knight, doomed to be killed at the claws of a flock of Ravens."

"I believe that you are much more than you give yourself credit for. I also think that you have outgrown this little town. You're a magnificent person, Fakir, and there is a wonderful world out there; filled with places and people you've never seen. I think it's about time you explored outside of your boundaries. You might find that you can grow to meet this world."

"What's wrong with Kinkad," grumbled Fakir. "It was good enough for you bring me here when my parents died, why isn't good enough for me anymore?"

"You were born into that world, Fakir," Charon said. "That is the world of your parents. It might be worth your time to learn about it. You might find something new about yourself."

"We don't have to leave right away," Ahiru said softly. "We can leave tomorrow, or the day after. We can wait till your ready."

Fakir was silent for awhile, starring intensely into the now smoking ashes in the fireplace. The room was only lit by a few candles on the table. The soft candle light played across his face, giving the illusion of movement momentarily, but Fakir remained completely still. Ahiru waited, watching his face, till he reached his decision.

Finally Fakir raised his eyes to look Ahiru in face. "Aren't you scared of what's out there?"

Ahiru was taken aback so much that she was speechless for several minutes. "Is that why you didn't want to leave? You're afraid?"

"I haven't left this town since Charon brought me here when I was very young. I hardly remember the outside world, and what I do remember I don't want to think about. I've grown used to this town. This is where I met Mythos, where I was needed, this is where I needed to be. Now everyone is leaving. Mythos and Rue are living in a castle. Now you and Urza leaving to follow them. Even Charon is telling me to get out. I don't want to leave just yet."

"What are you afraid of?" Ahiru asked kindly.

Fakir looked haunted. "I'm afraid of leaving this town and discovery how small and worthless I really am. Here I'm needed. I look after you and go to school. Out there, I'm nothing. I haven't existed in the world in a very long time. I might as well be dead to them."

Ahiru watched Fakir for awhile. He brushed his hair back from his face and stared into space, like he was concentrating hard on a very complex idea that kept eluding him. He didn't look scared to Ahiru. He looked very lonely.

"At least you existed once," Ahiru said, causing Fakir to glance over at her in confusion. "My entire life up till the story I was a duck. I had no other world besides the pond. I didn't know anything but my own heart. Meeting Mythos opened up a new world to me. Suddenly, I was human, I had friends, I had people who cared for me and needed my help. It was scary at first, but it was wonderful as well. I quickly learned to love my new life and the help I was giving to my friends. I guess I'm not scared of that world because I just see it as an extension of the world Mythos gave me. Now my friends need to go to them, and I can't hesitate because it is all I know. I can't be afraid of what I don't know because I'm needed and you are too." Ahiru smiled at him innocently. "Don't you think Mythos is lonely in that castle?"

Fakir stared at Ahiru. She was as duck-like as ever, he could say that; her feathery red hair, her quacking voice, her unassuming sweet eyes. Now, however, he could see a deep peacefulness in her eyes that carried a wisdom that could only have come from her days as Princess Tutu.

"Someone needs to deliver Urza-chan's message to Mythos. I will escort you to the castle, but we won't stay longer than a week, got it?" Fakir stated in a blank voice. His face betrayed no emotion but Ahiru was overjoyed. She smiled hugely jumped out her chair to through her arms around Fakir's neck.

"Thank you, Fakir! You won't regret this. I'll be good the whole trip. I'll do whatever you tell me to do. Think about how happy Mythos and Rue will be when they see us!" Ahiru cried.

"Oh! Get off me!" Fakir hollered. Ahiru's arms only tightened in response. Fakir stiffed at first but then relaxed. "Please, Ahiru, let me go. I need to get ready for the trip." Ahiru thought she might have imagined it, but she thought she heard a slight smile in Fakir's voice. She released him and stood in front of his chair.

"Okay, Fakir. I'll go pack now. I'll come back here in a few hours and we'll leave tonight!"

"Hooray-zura!" cried Urza. "We're going to a castle-zura!" And then, "Charon-sama? What is a castle?"

A flash of anxiety swept across Fakir's face. "Tomorrow morning," he said. "I'll have the horses' ready tomorrow morning."

Ahiru looked a bit crestfallen but Fakir was adamant. Ahiru nodded sadly but waved cheerfully as she left to get her riding bag. Fakir watched her go while leaning against the door frame with his arms crossed.

Charon came out and put his hand on Fakir's shoulder. "You're doing the right thing," he said.

"Is there a cure for this fear?" Fakir asked. He looked up at his adopted father.

"Of course," Charon said smiling down kindly. "Experience."

"Honestly, General Heinrich," the stout ruddy man said. "I expected more from you. We send you off to secure a suspicious city and instead you came flying back with a school boy, claiming you've found our dead Prince. I do believe your superstitious mind has overcome you judgment."

"Come now, Senator Klaus," replied the General, "Just look at his face. Look at his sword. This is obviously our Prince Siegfried!"

"What proof do you have?" demanded the Senator giving Mythos yet another disdainful glance that set Rue's teeth on edge. "He is a good-looking lad with features like the Prince's with an expensive sword. That does not make him a Prince. Even more conveniently, he claims to have amnesia, so we can't even test his princely knowledge. Most importantly, if he is the deceased Prince Siegfried back from the dead, _why hasn't he aged? _This boy is no older than fourteen, the same age of our prince when he disappeared. Five years have past since that tragic attack on Kinkad Town. More importantly four and a half years have past since Sachsan declared war on Tirol to _avenge the death of our prince_."

"A very unfortunate misunderstanding, Senator, I'm aware." The general mopped his brow with a white handkerchief. "I do remind you I spent a good deal of the last few years on the front line. I am well aware of the political repercussions of this discovery…"

"Are you indeed, General Heinrich," inquired another man with a wicked long nose. "You certainly didn't seem to take very long to decide this was our long lost prince. Perhaps Klaus is right; your superstitious nature does tend to take precedent over your better judgment at times."

"And what judgment of mine do you dare challenge, Count Reider? What decision have I made that has endangered our mighty nation or led our national army into undue harm? Before you challenge my judgment, I expect you to have some proof to your accusations."

The Count was taken aback by the direct assault. "I was merely speaking in generalities, my good man. That is all."

"If I may have a word."

The crowd of high ranking officials and military men all turned to listen to the speaker. While many years their minor, Mythos still kept a commanding presence. When he spoke, he didn't need to raise his voice to be heard. It was a quiet regality, but it was because of it subtly that Rue admired it so.

"I would prefer if you would not refer to me in the third person while I am in your presence. I am Prince Siegfried, and if you call yourself my countrymen, I request that you allow me the proper respect given to a Prince."

A slight blush and embarrassment grew from the crowd of men while the general beamed proudly.

"Ah, but that is a large claim for so young a boy," came a drawling voice from the back of the group. Everyone turned to find the speaker a tall spindly man with a high brow and receding hairline. His dark eyes flashed with dangerous wit as he addressed Mythos.

"Who are you who challenges my position as Prince of Sachsan? You must have some evidence to prove me wrong if you are to speak to me in such a disrespectful manner."

The man smiled wickedly as he continued in his drawling voice, "Forgive me, for my name is Baron Marwick von Tilly. But of course, if you were the real Prince Siegfried you would already know that, since I have served your family since before your birth. Never mind that now," continued the Baron, dismissing the General's attempt to interrupt him with a wave of his thin hand. "Of course I have no proof to prove you are not exactly who you say you are. Any evidence that could have been used was lost long ago in the surprise raid by the Tirolian army. I can, however, suppose that there is an ulterior motive to your claim of power."

"An ulterior motive of my own or my supporters?" Mythos asked calmly.

"Your supporters, of course," replied the Baron blandly. "It is obvious that you were elected by a group of anti-war rebels for your fair looks to be sent to the castle as a means to end the war. Perhaps some of those naïve fools believed if Prince Siegfried was found all the years of blood shed and destruction would be forgotten and pushed aside without a second thought. I don't blame you, dear boy. You are just a pawn in someone's plan to upstart the war and add another monkey wrench to the political machine."

Rue couldn't take anymore. "There will come a day that I will make you eat the words you just spoke to your Prince. I promise you that."

His eyes flashed in anger but before the Baron could respond, a large voice floated down the stairs. "What is this, a party? How did I miss out on an invitation?"

The response was immediate. Every man instantly fell to one knee and bowed their head so their chins rested against their chest. Rue barely had time to fall into a curtsy before a majestic parade flowed down the stairs into the parlor like a golden fountain. Mythos remained standing but was bent slightly at the waist, giving his cousin due respect as expected from the royal heir.

King Byron glided into the room surrounded by a royal entourage. On his right arm was Queen Charlotte, a beautiful woman with heavy lidded eyes and rich brown hair. They both wore purple and gold clothes made out of heavy silk. The couple was such a perfect picture of regality that the glittering crowns on their heads seemed to be only accessories obligated by their royal position rather than identifiers of the King and Queen.

"Forgive us, my king," said the Baron, still facing the floor. His voice had become immediately oily. "We were merely discussing a matter of trivial politics. Such inane triflings are below the attention of the King."

"I will decide what deserves my attention, Baron von Tilly," replied the King smoothly. "Something that I happen to find extremely interesting is a rumor I heard that there was a young man in the castle who claimed to be my dead cousin." He turned and looked at Mythos, who stood straight backed and looked directly back into the King's eyes. "You are a brave boy. If you are found out as a fraud, I could condemn you for treason simply for making eye contact with the King."

"I am confident that in time my identity will be made certain," replied Mythos. "I am Prince Siegfried. I was never killed, but certain hardships made it impossible for me to send word to my King that I was alive."

"Hardships, you say," pondered the King. "I suppose these things do happen, however, your story will have to wait. While I'm sure it's a fascinating yarn, there are more immediate matters at hand."

Mythos bent at the waist slightly before stepping back. Rue, uncertain of what to do, remained completely still, waiting for the King's attention to fall on her. However, her paranoia, at least this time, was unfounded. The King instead addressed the crowd of men in the parlor. Upon being addressed the men rose from their knees but did not look directly into the face of the King.

"I have just received news from our encampment near the Tirolian border that our surprise attack on Innsbruck was anticipated and intercepted by an army of 5000 men. Our troops suffered a drastic defeat and our plans to take the capital have been pushed back, possibly by months," said King Byron. "I can't begin to describe how disappointing this news is to me. It seems that an end to this war is much farther away than we thought." The King took a deep breath before continuing, "You may give me your opinions at this time."

"Your majesty," said a voice like a cackling frog. "First, may I say that this news is far worse than anything we could have imaged. My deepest sympathies lay with your majesties and the brave soldiers who have suffered from this tragedy."

The King nodded sadly and there was a moment of silence before another voice spoke. It was the Baron. "If I may say so, your majesty, is it possible that the plans for our attacked were leaked to the enemy? I suspected this earlier when another surprise raid was caught adeptly by the Tirolian army."

"I agree," said Senator Klaus. "This can not be a coincidence that two of our secret operations be foiled. There is definitely a spy in our midst."

An anxious mutter rose from the crowd. Men looked at their neighbor with shifty distrustful eyes. Rue looked at Mythos for some clue of what to do but he seemed to be considering the position with great focus. He kept his eyes on the King, watching his reaction to the men's suggestions.

The King was solemn but resolute. He raised his hand and the muttered immediately silenced. "I have decided that an emergency war council must be called within the next two days. I will send out messengers to all the representatives tonight, requesting them to arrive tomorrow morning when we will commence the council meeting."

The flurry of sycophantic mutterings buzzed in the air. The King nodded, more to himself than the advisors and noblemen. He turned to go, but stopped. He looked over at Mythos who was still standing off to the side with Rue. "You, boy. You are to come to the war council as well. You will act out the duties of the Prince of the nation. We will see if the real work of a royal is suited to you." He stopped again then said hesitantly, "You truly do resemble my cousin. I was greatly saddened by his death. If you truly are him, I apologize for my suspicions, but you must understand the position I am in."

Mythos nodded resolutely and replied, "Of course, your majesty. It is a set of extraordinary circumstances. I understand if it is hard for you to believe."

The Queen gazed dreamily at Mythos and smiled. She didn't say anything but Rue took an immediate liking to her. While the Queen was wordless, her silent approval of Mythos spoke volumes.

The King and Queen departed. Their exit equaled the glorious splendor of their entrance. Wordlessly, the men disbanded. Senator Klaus and the Baron strolled off together, deep in conversation. Rue felt a stab of intense dislike overtake her. Apparently her disgust showed on her face since Mythos said, "Do not allow those men to upset you so."

"I can't help it," she replied. "They said such horrible things to you."

"No, they said what they were scripted to say. That is the job of an advisor. They are not to make judgments but to point out options and possibilities. Decisions are to be made the king. What they said was not completely malicious in nature," replied Mythos. "They were merely fulfilling their function."

Rue was taken aback by this idea. She smiled. "You always surprise me with your kindness. I don't know if I could ever learn to think the way you do."

Mythos smiled back. "You are wise and intelligent. You will come into your Princess-hood with time. Soon we will be recognized by the court and we will be the heirs of this nation. You are in the perfect position to learn everything you will need to know when you take that throne."

Rue's smiled faded a little. "I wish I could be as confident as you. I really don't know what I'm doing here. I always feel like I'm in the way. Like back there with the King, I didn't know what to do. I wanted to speak up and defend you, but I don't know what the weight of my words would be here."

"Just relax," Mythos said kindly. "You're doing fine. You could have spoken up, but its fine that you didn't. My identity will become certain in time. We just need to wait."

Rue looked annoyed. "Waiting. I hate waiting."

A young soldier in navy blue approached the young royals. He borrowed deeply and said, "I beg your pardon, but I am here to deliver a message to Prince Siegfried and Lady Rue."

"Princess," Rue hissed under her breath. The messenger didn't seem to be fazed and continued.

"There are three persons who have arrived at the main drawbridge that claim friendship with your eminences. One is a dark haired boy with a sword, a red-haired girl with a yellow cloak, and a strange child with blue hair and a painted face."

Mythos's face, which had been kept in a calm mask the entire time they stayed at the castle, betrayed his elation. "Are you quite sure? Was the boy's name Fakir?" he asked anxiously.

The messenger nodded his head. "Yes, sir. Shall they be let into the castle?"

"Yes!" cried Mythos. "Please, bring them up to my private quarters. As quickly as you can."

Rue looked at Mythos's face. He was obviously happy. A small smile refused to leave his mouth as he guided her through the corridors towards his rooms. She had seen him happy several times in the past few weeks, but never this excited. A stab of jealousy hit her in the heart that she wasn't the cause of his obvious elation. It seemed that Rue and Fakir's long tug-of-war fight for Mythos's attention hadn't ended yet.

Fakir, Ahiru, and Urza were guided through castle corridors by a soldier in a navy blue uniform. Ahiru and Urza were overwhelmed by the splendor of the halls. Decadent tapestries, masterful paintings and heavy silk curtains decorated every hall.

Fakir gripped his side to hold the hilt of his rapier but his hand found empty air instead. He had been disarmed at the castle gate. He could understand the need for security but he felt vulnerable without a weapon with him.

The soldier led them directly to the Mythos's room. They stopped outside the large embossed doors to Mythos's chambers and waited as the soldier rang a small bell hanging on a string nearby. A maid dressed in a plain brown dress opened the door and let the trio in without a word. They were lead by the maid into a glamorous parlor with red velvet seats and Persian carpets. Ahiru and Urza were mesmerized by the splendor of the decorations but Fakir's attention was drawn to the young couple standing in the middle of the room. Mythos and Rue greeted them warmly.

"Welcome to Sachsan castle," said Rue taking Ahiru's hands in her own. "This is such a pleasant surprise. We weren't expecting you to visit, at least not so soon."

"Rue! You look amazing," cried Ahiru, admiring Rue richly designed apparel. "You look just like how I always imagined a princess."

Mythos shook Fakir's hand warmly. "I'm very happy to see you here Fakir. Could it be that you have changed your mind about my offer?"

Fakir smiled for the first time since they left Kinkad. "I'm afraid not. This is just a short visit. Ahiru insisted on coming and I couldn't let her leave alone."

Mythos looked disappointed for a second but quickly recovered his composure.

"I see. Well, it's still good to see you," he replied.

"What is this thing-zura?" They all turned to see Urza pulling a tapestry aside to reveal a hidden passageway behind it.

"Urza! You shouldn't go exploring in strange places without asking permission," cried Ahiru.

"Well, look at that," said Mythos, amused. "I believe that the secret passageway to the kitchens. I've been told that when I was young I would often use it to steal pastries late at night."

"Yes, but he felt so guilty when he stole them that he would leave his favorite toys in their place, so he was quickly found out and the passageway was blocked up. I wondered where it was," Rue replied.

"Mythos, are you starting to regain your memories?" asked Ahiru.

Mythos smiled sadly. "Not exactly. I've been speaking with my old tutor who has been relating my life story to me. When he explains it all to me it feels familiar but I haven't remembered anything on my own yet."

"Do you think you every will," asked Fakir coldly. "It is possible that the spell could have permanently erased your memories previous to coming to Kinkad Town."

Mythos's smiled grew sadder. "That possibility has crossed my mind. I hope that isn't the case. From what I have been told, I had a very pleasant childhood. I would like to be able to remember it first hand."

Rue and Ahiru looked pityingly at Mythos. Fakir considered him with sympathy.

There was a soft ring at the door. The maid rushed forward to let in the visitor. Moments later, Stossen was led into the room.

"Prince Siegfried, the K-king requests that you come to the opening delegations of the emergency war council," Stossen said without a greeting. "I was s-sent here to escort you to the grand chambers."

Mythos nodded in acknowledgement but replied, "Of course, but I thought that the discussions would not begin until tomorrow afternoon."

"Rue, who is that?" murmured Ahiru to her friend.

"This is the secretary to the general who brought us here," replied Rue in an undertone.

"I remember you," Fakir said abruptly. "You were in Kinkad Town a few weeks ago."

Stossen nodded at Fakir politely but turned back to Mythos to answer, "Yes, the discussions with the p-provincial representatives begin tomorrow but there will be some preliminary meetings to decide an immediate response to the defeat in Innsbruck."

"Oh my-zura," cried Urza, now standing on one of the velvet chairs. "This person has circles on his face like Aotoa-kun. Are people with circles on their faces they same as people without?"

Stossen stared at Urza. "I-is that a-a child? She looks very strange." He continued to stare. "Why does she ha-have blue hair?"

Ahiru and Fakir looked panicked at each other. They had gotten so used to Urza that they no longer thought of her as a puppet. While talking animals and puppets had until recently been the norm in Kinkad, they were quite unheard of in the outside world. It could be bad if Urza drew to much attention to herself.

"Ah, Urza is just a native girl from Kinkad," said Ahiru. "Lots of girls in Kinkad have blue hair."

"Then why is her face painted?" asked Stossen.

"It is traditional to paint young girl's faces in Kinkad," continued Ahiru. Fakir shot her furious look but she wasn't able to take the words back now.

Stossen looked thoughtful. "I d-don't remember many girls with painted faces when I was in Kinkad Town."

Fakir decided he might as well play along. "They only paint the faces of girl with blue hair. It's long been a part of our culture."

Rue and Mythos looked at each other in confusion and shrugged.

Stossen seemed to be satisfied. "If you would like, my children are here at the castle as well, visiting with their mother. After I take Prince Siegfried down to the grand chambers, I could take this little girl down to their playroom. I'm sure they would appreciate a new face, especially such an interesting one."

Urza chirped happily, "Urza-chan likes little children! I want to go to the children-zura!"

Fakir let out a breath in relief. "Well, that settles it. We'll speech to you after you're finished your business with the King, then," he said to Mythos.

Mythos looked at Fakir thoughtfully. "Perhaps you should come with me, Fakir. I could use your opinions on some of these political matters."

Fakir was unconvinced. "I don't see what help I would be. I don't even know what goes on in a war council."

"Well, whoever is coming with me, it needs to be n-now," said Stossen, in a stressed voice. "I was supposed to bring the Prince down to the chambers ten minutes ago."

Ahiru said to Fakir, "Go ahead, I'll be fine here with Rue."

Mythos began to move towards the door and yelled over his shoulder, "Come on, Fakir. It will be an educational experience."

Fakir followed Mythos reluctantly out of the room, followed in turn by a marching Urza, tapping a steady beat on her drum.

Ahiru and Rue were left alone in the lavishly decorated parlor, surrounded by all matters of comfort and wealth.

"Are you hungry?" asked Rue as she took a seat on the red velvet couch. "I can get the maid to bring us up anything you would like."

"No, I couldn't trouble anyone like that," Ahiru said adamantly but was cut off by her rumbling stomach. She smiled in embarrassed and murmured, "Some biscuits would be nice."

Rue motioned to the maid and she was immediately at her shoulder. "Bring us some sandwiches, biscuits, and tea, please." The maid barely nodded before rushing off to the kitchens.

"Wow, Rue," said Ahiru. "You've certainly gotten used to living in the castle quickly. Look at your clothes. Your poise as you sit straight-backed in your chair. And the way everyone treats you. It was like you were born for this. It's just like it's out of a fairy tale."

Rue smiled politely. "Thank you, Ahiru, your very kind. It is very nice here. Ordering around the servants was strange at first, but they seem to want to take your commands. They just stand there looking dull otherwise. Taking orders gives them something to do."

"We all miss you back at school. Neko-sensei is gone now, but we have a new instructor who is very good. His name is Dubois-sensei. He's from France but they say that he trained with Agrippina Vaganova. I'm still not very good and I get yelled at a lot but I think I'm getting a little better."

"I'm sure you're working very hard," said Rue pleasantly. "You've always been very persistent. It is one of your stronger characteristics."

"You should come back and visit sometime," continued Ahiru. "The advanced group had to have auditions to replace your spot, but I'm sure if you come back you could join one of the troupes or if Mythos came back too, you could dance a _pas de deux_…"  
"I don't think that Mythos will be able to go back to the school anytime soon," Rue interrupted. "I'm afraid the two of us are very busy here. The political atmosphere here at the castle is… tense. I don't think either of us will be able to get away anytime soon." She looked off into the distance and her gaze became misty. "I do miss dancing but there just isn't time for ballet here at the castle. Everything here is about the war. I'm starting to get sick of this war, and I've just been around for a couple weeks."

"Rue, there is a reason why Fakir and I came here," Ahiru started. "We made each other a promise…"

"A promise?" Rue looked back surprised. "With Fakir?"

"Yes. We did."

The maid appeared with a tray filled with sandwiches, biscuits, and hot cups of tea. Ahiru instantly remembered how hungry she was.

"Itadakimasu," she cried and began to eat with gusto.

Rue was treated to the comical scene of Ahiru trying to consume three sandwiches and two biscuits simultaneously. She took a single biscuit for herself and took a refined bite. Ahiru was oblivious to their separation of civility and gulped down her tea greedily.

"I suppose in some ways you will always be a duck," Rue said in an amused tone. "Especially when it comes to table manners."

Ahiru looked at the mess she was making and laughed a little. "Yeah, I guess so. I can't help it when I make such a mess. It just happens. Maybe I'll just watch you eat and I'll learn how to do it the right way."

Rue waved her hand dismissively. "Don't worry about it. It's just the two of us here. Just be yourself. It's what you're best at. It does remind me of a story I heard about Mythos when he was younger though." Rue smiled softly to herself as she continued, "He was about five years old when his governess was trying to teach him to hold a fork properly at the dinner table. I was told that he held the like a little sword and said, "En Garde!" and disarmed the governess who had been trying to show him by example. The governess just laughed and told everyone that the prince was born a master swordsman and that he would be slaying dragons by the age of ten. She said that she would have to teach him letters with a rapier instead of a pencil."

"Mythos must have been very cute when he was a child," said Ahiru. "Who told you these stories? Did Mythos remember them?"

"No, he doesn't remember much of his childhood at all," Rue replied. "We have been taking lessons with Professor Krinkle, Mythos old tutor. He is very knowledgeable and wise and remembers everything about Mythos. He tells us about Mythos's past and the history of Sachsan. It is very important that we both have an elementary knowledge of the world, especially if we are going to be inheriting the throne." Rue's gaze grew misty again. "Of course that won't be for a long while. King Byron is still young and very capable. Mythos and I will have plenty of time to study the histories of Sachsan and Tirol. Plenty of time to spend time together, getting to know each other better."

"Rue," Ahiru said putting her tea down on the table, "there is something I have to tell you, about why I'm here."

Ahiru's voice seemed to bring Rue crashing back into reality. Her eyes flashed red. "Oh, yes, your _promise_ with Fakir," Rue said, instantly bored. "Don't worry about us, Ahiru. We are doing alright here. In a few months, our situation will be set and Mythos will commence his princely duties. I'll be kept busy supporting him in the court. It truly is a happy ending, isn't it?" Rue's smile seemed to have a harder edge than usual, but Ahiru wasn't concerned. She knew the affect of the raven's blood was temporary. Her sweet, considerate Rue would be back in a few minutes. She just needed to wait out Rue's episode and then she could tell her the news she brought with her.

"One more thing, Ahiru," Rue said sharply. "Watch out for Fakir, he doesn't have you best interests at heart."

Ahiru knew that Rue and Fakir didn't get along but the blunt attack still surprised her. "I don't know what you mean, Rue, Fakir is my friend. He hasn't done anything strange at all."

"Fakir is a very unstable personality. That power of his might prove to be his undoing, just like Dosselmeyer. He clings to you because he thinks you can save him like you saved Mythos but that is outside of you power. You are no longer Princess Tutu and even if you were, you would not have the ability to help him. Fakir will succumb to temptation and will use his power for personal gain. I can see it now. He will start small. A boy like him will think that it small changes mean nothing. Then it will grow and escalate out of control. He knows what is in his heart. He is already distancing himself from Mythos, preparing for the worst. He tries to resist, but he will fail. He is power hungry. We have seen so much when we were fighting the raven. Soon, that power will prove to be too much for him. Be sure that you are far away from him when it happens, Ahiru, for your own sake."

"Rue, you're speaking nonsense," cried Ahiru. "You are not in your right mind!"

Rue faltered. She seemed to be confused, as if she had forgotten where she was. She looked around the room blankly. Eventually her gaze fell back to Ahiru.

"I'm sorry, Ahiru, I thought I was over this."

Ahiru smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry. It's just us here. If that was your first episode since you came here, you're doing very well."

"It wasn't just an episode. I did mean some of it. Don't trust Fakir, Ahiru. Not just because of his abilities. He is a not a safe person," Rue said.

"Fakir has been very good to me since you and Mythos left," replied Ahiru. "I won't hear a word against him. I say the same thing when he says untrue things of you."

Rue looked like she was about to argue back but simply smiled. The edge was gone now. "You really are too kind, Ahiru. Sometimes I wonder if it is bad for you to be so trusting."


	9. Chapter 9

Mythos and Fakir were alone in the royal gardens

Ahiru's True Form

Chapter 9

Madonnalal

Mythos and Fakir passed under the large heavy stone archway with its iron-wrought gate into the royal private gardens. The public gardens were much larger and grander in size and design with large synchronized fountains and elegantly arranged flower beds, coordinating by color and feel. But what the royal private gardens lost in mapped out grandeur they made up for in rustic beauty. While the private gardens were cared for daily, it always looked over grown and wild. Ivy branched out and embraced stone-mason walls that enclosed the gardens from public view. Flower beds were strewn with wildflowers like Babies- Breath and daisies as well as more sophisticated flowers like petunias and roses. The garden was obviously in the deepest part of the fortress, but Fakir felt that he had been transported to some hidden paradise from the minute he stepped on to the loose pebble path. The garden radiated a feeling of safety and seclusion.

"This place is beautiful," said Fakir. "It feels like, like a home. Do you come here often?"

Mythos shook his head. "I'm afraid I haven't gotten much chance to relax and enjoy myself since I returned. From the minute I arrived my identity has been challenged at every turn. I've been working hard to recover my memories and build my reputation in the court. My cousin has been helpful, but he's very busy. I've spoken with him only once in private, and we weren't able to talk for long. He accepts me, however, and his support has been a great help, but it will take more if I'm going to be able to achieve my primary goal."

"What goal is this?" asked Fakir, sitting down on a stone bench slight obscured from view by an overgrown bush. Mythos shifted on his feet but did not sit.

"I want to establish myself as the true Prince Siegfried, without any question or doubt in anyone's mind, and secure my birthright as the heir to the throne," said Mythos. He shifted on his feet again. "I don't think that is too much to ask."

"I see. That is an admirable goal, but why are you working so hard? Why is this so important to you?"

"I can't explain it very well. I want to be acknowledged, that is all. Perhaps if I can convince every other person in the court, I can convince myself of who I am."

Fakir looked up confused. "What do you mean 'who you are'? Why do you have any reason to doubt yourself?"

"My memories," Mythos said, "remain elusive. I can't remember anything before my time in Kinkad Town."

"I thought you said some fragments of memories were slowly returning to you," Fakir replied with suspicion.

Mythos shook his head and shifted again. "I lied. I even told Rue the same thing. My old tutor has been teaching me the outline of my life before I fell under the spell. I listen to what he says but it doesn't mean anything to me. Nothing he says feels like it happened to me. He says I learned to ride a horse at the age of 4. He says it was a chestnut-colored pony with a blonde mane. He tells me all these facts and dates but I don't remember them. Then Rue turns to me and asks what I think of all these things he's telling us, and I have to lie to her so I do not shame her."

"How could you shame her?" demanded Fakir. "Isn't lying to her even more shameful? And what blame can you place on yourself for not being able to recall your childhood?"

Mythos shook his head again and clutched his arms. "I thought I was Prince Siegfried and I told her that's who I was. But know I'm not as sure. What if I can never recalls my memories? What if they're really gone? What if I never had them to begin with? How could I face Rue then, I would have let her down. I have made her believe she's a princess, when in truth she's just a girl in love with a boy with no memories and no prospects. I can't let her know how I am failing to recall anything before the spell."

"Mythos! You are being ridiculous. Stop saying these worthless things. You are Prince Siegfried. If you are not sure of it, I am. Your memories will return in time, you just need more time."

"No," Mythos moaned. "I'm running out of time. I don't know what I'm doing anymore. I can't take it anymore. Fakir, please, you have to help me!"

"What," Fakir asked, startled. "Help you how?"

Mythos bent over and grabbed Fakir's shoulders roughly. "Your power," Mythos whispered frantically into Fakir's face. "Please, if you are my friend, you will help me. Write a story about my life before I ever heard of Kinkad Town and then turn it into my memory. Or, even better, write a story that will make everyone belief I am Prince Siegfried. It would help me emmesely and it wouldn't be too hard for you. Please, Fakir, I need you to do this."

Fakir was speechless with shock. He couldn't belief what his friend was demanding of him. He gazed up to Mythos's scared wide eyes. Amber eyes were foggy with dismay and sorrow, but also by something else. A scarlet shadow was visible in the dark recesses of Mythos's eyes. An eerie familiar feeling returned to Fakir as he realized the cause of Mythos's anxiety.

"Mythos, get a hold of yourself. You aren't acting like yourself at all. You're being affected by the Raven's blood still!" Fakir yelled.

Mythos stepped back and sneered. His face was now the angry mask he wore when he was under Clarie's influence in Kinkad. "I am under no influence but my own. I decide my own fate and nothing can deter me from my path. If you will not help me of your own free will, then you have to right to call me your friend."  
Fakir stood up and grabbed Mythos by his shoulders. "Mythos, this isn't you. I am your friend and I know you better than to belief you would ever say anything like this. Please, Mythos, please realize you are being controlled again."

Mythos's sneer deepened and knocked off Fakir's grip. He took a step back but faltered. The mask of fury melted away into Mythos's natural smooth, regal face. As his normal features returned a look of sorrow and embarrassment grew.

"I'm sorry, Fakir," Mythos said pleadingly. "You didn't deserve that. I don't know where all that anger came from. Honestly, I haven't said anything like that to anyone here since I arrived."

"It is fine with me," said Fakir. "I know you didn't mean it."

Mythos raised his hand to his forehead. "No, it's not alright. I promise you, I didn't mean anything I just said. I was completely out of line. Please, do not think these are my true feelings."

"I know it was the affect of the raven's blood still inside you," replied Fakir, sitting back down on the stone bench. This time, Mythos sat down next to him.

"The whole time I've been here, I've felt something growing inside of me. I'm not used to my feelings yet, so I have trouble knowing exactly how I feel about certain things. I know I was happy to see you and Ahiru arrive. I'm satisfied when I'm with Rue. I like the general and Strosser and the King and Queen are good to be too. But the longer I stay here, the greater this feeling becomes. It is hard like a stone in my gut, but it also attacks my throat and burns my heart. It is one of the most unpleasant feelings I'm experience yet, but I don't know what to call it."

Fakir nodded. "It's probably frustration. You are frustrated that you can't recall your memories and you can not prove yourself to your doubters. But that shouldn't be your concern now. It does not matter if a person believes you are the true Prince. It is much more important that you learn what you need to about this kingdom so that you can become an effective ruler. You are thinking of too many worthless things. Please take better care of yourself."

Mythos turned and stared into Fakir's face. "I do want to take better care of myself but I can not do it alone. If I was not convinced before I am certain now more than eve. I need you here as my advisor. Please, reconsider my offer."

Fakir waved his hand as if he was flicking away the idea. "You do not need me here. I am not knowledgeable enough to act as an advisor. I'm sure there are more qualified people here in the palace for that job."

"In that case, stay here as my knight. You are a powerful swordsman. You would do well in a military position. I would see to it that you would rise through the ranks swiftly."

Fakir frowned. "You know full well that I am a failure as a knight. I would not want to travel that path again. If I were to fail again, something far worse could befall you then a spell that stole your memories. I'm sorry; I can't trust myself to do that."

"If you refuse to be my advisor or my knight, then please be my friend. I beg of you, Fakir. Stay here at the castle with me."

Fakir stood up and turned to face Mythos. "Enough of this already. You don't need me here in the castle. I would just get in the way. I've told you over and over again, I don't know anything about this world. My council would be without substance. I am not what you need now."

Mythos stood up with him, angry again, but without the slightest glimmer of scarlet in his eyes. "But I do! I do need you here. You do me a discredit by your overestimation of me. I am a prince but I am also a boy. I've lived more years that I can recall but none of it mattered till I had you for a friend. If it wasn't for you, I would still be wandering alone in the streets of Kinkad Town, search for my lost heart. Perhaps 200 years passed since I broke it apart but only the time I spent with you mattered to me. And now, here I am, ignorant and confused in a place I can't remember, no matter how hard I try. Rue is kind to me, but she relies on me too much. I need someone to challenge me and set me right when I make a mistake. I want that person to be you. You came for me once at my time of need and now when things are at their darkest, will you abandon me?"

Fakir stared off into the overgrown flowerbeds sheltered by impenetrable stone walls thick with ivy. The sun was sinking in the sky so that you could only see half of the yellow disk over the castle walls. The feeling in the garden was serene and peaceful but the emotions with him were tumultuous and noisy.

Finally Fakir turned back to Mythos. Mythos's face was hopeful and expectant. Fakir almost gave in at that moment, but managed to let out, "Please, give me sometime. I plan to stay a two weeks. Please give me till the end of that time to decide."

Mythos looked a little disappointed at first but then smiled. "I suppose that is the best answer I could have hoped for. Very well then, I will wait to hear your response. But if I might ask, why are you so reluctant to decide right now?"

Fakir thought absent-mindedly of Ahiru. "There are a few things I still need to attend to. I'm sorry, but that's all I can say."

Mythos nodded solemnly. "I'll have to accept that response but I wish it were more satisfying. Come on now, I see people gathering over by the doors to return to the deliberations. We should be getting back."

Fakir nodded and silently followed his friend out of the gardens. He glanced back as they left, taking in its wild uncontrolled beauty one last time.

* * *

The war council was held in the King's apartments. It was a long and open room lined with floor to ceiling windows divided by elaborately designed pilasters. Above the door, a large portrait of King Byron's father, the previous king of Sachsan, hung looming above their heads. The senators and advisors, including Mythos and Fakir, sat around a long, elegant, rectangular table on red velvet cushioned seats. At the head of the table King Byron sat in a slightly larger chair with velvet coated armrests.

To the King's immediate right sat the Baron of Tilly and Senator Klaus sat to his immediate left. Fakir frowned to see the Baron sitting so close to the King. The General was there as well, as was Stressen, standing slightly behind him, scribbling furiously in his notes. Fakir felt relieved to see their familiar faces. He was at least reasonably sure that the General supported Mythos.

Hopefully the decisions made at this meeting, a preliminary hearing more than a true war council, would sway in Mythos's favor. Fakir would try to help him, but he didn't know what he could do to help him in a room of men like the Baron and his men.

"Let us get right back to business," started off the King, in a deep comforting voice. "How has our military standing changed with these events?"

The General spoke up, "This was a large blow to our defenses but we can still recover. Our surprise attack was blocked, but we still have forces ready to be moved in the area, less than a two day march away."

The King nodded. "In that case, do you recommend that we proceed with our previous plans to proceed to Innsbruck and take the city by siege?"

The General stroked his chin. "A victory at Innsbruck would certainly bring us much closer to victory. With an important border city under our control we would be in a better position to threaten the Tirolian royals in Vorarlberg."

"Leave discussions about political negotiations to the political advisors, General," the Baron of Tilly droned. "You were only asked to assess the current military position."

The General, rather than become blustered or offended, smoothly answered, "It is in my opinion that the situation is not hopeless but not preferable. With the right direction, victory is still attainable. However, if any mistakes in planning will likely wipe out our troops in that area, a count of nearly 4000 soldiers. That is current military position." The General glanced briefly down at the far end of the table where Mythos and Fakir sat, and rolled his eyes. Mythos and Fakir smiled back but not enough to draw attention to the General's inappropriate expression.

"But how did Tirol know that we were going to move toward Innsbruck?" asked Senator Klaus. "We kept the operation as secret as humanly possible. No one outside this room should have known our troops were going to be approaching Innsbruck yesterday afternoon."

"This isn't the first time a surprise attack on Tirol has been anticipated," said a nasally voice across the table from the General.

"No, Duke Hermann is right," replied Count Reider. "This isn't the first time Tirol has seemed unusually prepared for an attack."

"So what does this mean?" asked a skeletal thin gentleman from the middle of the table. "Has there been some kind of information leak?"

"Perhaps Tirol has placed a spy in our midst," suggested the Count. "It wouldn't have been the first time they bribed a maid or kitchen servant to sneak around the castle and report back any important information they've picked up."

"No," said the Baron. "But it would be the first time they used someone in this room." A hushed murmur of indignant surprise flooded the room.

The King considered this idea with dark eyes. "One of my most trusted advisors? A spy? I hope you have some evidence to support your wild claim."

The Baron wasn't shaken by the King's disproving gaze. "It is evidence enough that Tirol knew to anticipant our attack. This was a secret operation, to be known only to those in this room. It follows then that someone at this table is a spy for Tirol."

The General grunted a shallow laugh. "I hope you do not include his majesty the King in your generalization."

The Baron stared down his long nose at the General furiously. "Of course not! What a preposterous notion!"

"What of the boy?" called out Senator Klaus. "He is the only one here who has not proven his worth to the Kingdom ten times over as the rest of us has. Why is he even here? He was probably sent here by Tirol to infiltrate our secure fortress and break us down from the inside."

Fakir thought at first the Senator was referring to him but his temper almost snapped when he realized the Senator was referring to Mythos. The General flushed red and growled in indignation. Several others around the tabled jumped up in fury. "Uncalled for! How dare you!" came the calls up and down the table. The Baron sat back in his chair silent but smiling softly to himself.

The King low resonating voice broke through the din like a knife through cheese. "I will not accept such allegations. Prince Siegfried was not aware of the secret attack on Innsbruck and thus could not have warned the Tirol army before hand. As to his worth to the kingdom, that will be decided after he has succeeded me as King."

Mythos let out a sigh of relief and leaned back slightly in his chair. Fakir and the General smiled softly. This was it. The vote of confidence they had waited for from the King himself. Mythos's position in the court was safe for now.

Other faces around the table were not as calm. The Baron has gone sickly white and when he spoke, his voice came in pained gasps. "Do you mean to say that you, the King of Sachsan, have accepted this boy to be your dead cousin, Prince Siegfried, whose apparent death lead us into this war in the first place?"

"My acceptance of this boy will depend on his ability to prove concretely to me that he is in fact my cousin. I am still refraining from judgment on his identity, but he strikes me as a trustable personality. I will allow him the opportunity to impress me." The King stared down the table pointedly at Mythos. Mythos nodded politely and smiled.

The Senator backtracked, sensing events were not going in the direction he and the Baron wanted them to. "But that still leaves the identity of the spy a mystery. If it is not the young Prince, who I admit was not present when the plans were made, then who could it be?"

A dark cloud of suspicious murmurings grew about the table. Up and down, whispered names and past suspicious deeds passed back and forth. Never did anyone out rightly accuse another, but suspicions grew and Fakir felt a dark betrayal growing in the oily black gaze of the Baron and his attendant, the Senator. The General and the King alone stayed silent, quietly disproving of the distrust in their comrades' eyes.

Mythos shook his head in disgust. "This will lead to nothing more than a pointless witch hunt," he murmured to Fakir. "We need to change the topic before an innocent is set on a pyre to burn."

"It won't be you," whispered back Fakir. "The king has already seen to that. What do we care if one of these men gets accused? It is likely that one of them is a spy. Let them flush him out."

Mythos shook his head again. "No, that's not it. The spy is probably not one of these men. Everyone in this room is here because of their massive resources of wealth and power. Anyone here would gain very little from being under the influence of Tirol. If anything, they fear what a Tirolian victory would do to their status and estates. This spy-hunt is nothing more than a way for some of the vultures in the room to sweep out an unwanted member. We have to stop this."

Fakir raked his brain. He had no idea what to say to these suspicion torn men. Finally, he burst out with the first question that came to mind. "Was the Tirolian response to the attack any different from their usual way?"

A hush fell over the table. Several pairs of eyes stared down the table, past Mythos, to look at Fakir at the very end of the table. The General looked to be considering the question very seriously, looking up to the ceiling and stoking his chin in concentration.

"Who are you, boy?" asked the Count, who was not seated far away from Mythos and Fakir. "And what is your business here?"

Fakir opened his mouth to respond but was cut off by Mythos. "He is my chosen knight and trusted advisor. He served me well during my time in Kinkad Town. He is here with my permission."

The King nodded his acceptance of Fakir's presence then turned to the General. "Well, now. Do you have an answer for the boy's question? You seem to be considering it very seriously."

"The fact is," started the General. "There were some strange reports from the men down on the field. The Tirolian forces were divided up into smaller groups than usual. They would attack from one direction then retreat while another would spring up from another location. This is very unusual for the Tirolians. They are generally very straight forward in their tactics and rely on their large numbers to overwhelm their enemy. This new development could mean that there has been some change in their military leadership."

"New leadership?" questioned a stocky figure sitting next to the Count. "What does this mean? Have they recruited a new general?"

"Small bands, attacking from multiple locations," muttered an older handsome man near the head of the table. "Sounds like mercenary tactics. They are usually few in number and rely heavily on indirect strategies. If Tirol has hired outside help to assist them, their royal purse must be much deeper than we thought. We had just begun to think their accounts had all run dry."

"There was a rumor that John Way had come to visit with the royal family of Tirol," replied the Count haughtily.

"John Way?" cried the General. "General John Way, the greatest mercenary leader of our time? When did you hear about this?"

The Count put up his nose at the question. "I don't have a head for dates. It was such a trivial piece of nonsense that I put it out of my mind. What would General John Way have to do with our war? He's currently in the employ of the King of Wales."

The Baron nodded gravely. "Yes, that is true. However, isn't it also true that John Way's has ties to the royal family of Tirol?"

Mutters from around the table grew up again in an anxious din. The King looked tired as he rubbed his eyes wearily. He began to raise his hand for silence when a voice called out calmly, "This could be a very good sign for us."

This time every pair of eyes looked down to long table to rest upon the young Prince's face. Fakir stared at him also, completely flabbergasted.

"What do you mean, Prince Siegfried?" called out the Baron from the other end of the table. "How could this possibly be good for us? The Tirolians now have one of the greatest military minds of the modern age. He is working for them, and has personal ties to their family. You must explain yourself."

"A mercenary is nothing more than a solider for hire. While they may have personal ties to one family or another, it is their nature to work for the highest bidder. Greed can be a very powerful ally. If we were to hire General John Way, or at least bribe him with enough money that he agrees to discontinue his employment with the royal family of Tirol, we could eliminate him as a threat. Also, we know that Tirol is becoming desperate, and no longer feels that she can stand against us alone without professional help. After we have bought off John Way, we can off to enter into talks with Tirol. They will likely be responsive to peace negotiations if they no longer have adequate means to fight."

The table was quiet. The King looked thoughtful. He turned to the older handsome man and said, "Well, Treasurer Johaness? Do we have the funds to buy off one of the greatest military minds of our time if it means we may finally put an end to this war?"

Treasurer Johaness looked thoughtful as well. "I can not say for sure, your majesty. I will have to consult my records. I will say that it is likely we still have the reserves, but I can not speak with certainty just yet."

The King nodded with a smile. "Very well then, we will disband for now and allow you to consult your books. Please be very careful in your calculations so that we have an accurate answer by tomorrow. As for the rest of you, this council adjourned until Treasurer Johaness has completed his estimates."

* * *

"That was very stressful," remarked Fakir as they left the hall.

"I suppose so, but you handed it very well," replied Mythos as he led him back towards the princely apartments.

"So did you. The idea about buying off Way was genius. And the timing was just right too."

Mythos was too regal to shrug so he smiled politely instead. "I just spoke my mind. Honestly, I didn't even think about what I was saying before it was already out of my mouth."

"That is a very bad habit to start on," retorted Fakir, smiling back. "You'll have to watch out for that. The next council meeting you could end up talking about cucumber sandwiches instead of military tactics."

Mythos laughed and waited for the servant to open the door to his private chambers. When they entered they saw Rue and Ahiru, feasting still on muffins and tea, reading a small note that had just arrived with a maid in a brown dress.

"Hello Mythos," Rue said, smiling. "Did the council go well?"

"It went brilliantly," interrupted Fakir, sitting on the coach next to Ahiru and reaching for a muffin. He ate it ravenously with undisguised hunger. Rue frowned slightly at him but turned about to Mythos with a smile.

"As he said, brilliantly," replied Mythos, sitting down next to Rue.

"What happened?" asked Ahiru over the rim of her teacup.

Fakir waved his hand dismissively. "It was a lot of old men, babbling on about the war. They got themselves all worked up and just when everything was about to fall apart Mythos spoke up with the voice of reason and sorted them all out."

Mythos picked up a teacup and sipped calmly while Rue beamed at him. "That's not exactly accurate. You helped me out a lot by changing the subject at a crucial point."

Fakir picked up another muffin and bit into it. "I didn't even know what I was saying until it was said. But one very good thing came out of today. The King openly declared his support of Mythos as Prince Siegfried in front of all the advisors."

Rue turned delighted to Mythos and put her hand on his arm. "It that true? Mythos, that's wonderful!"

"Again, Fakir is being inaccurate. He merely pointed out that I was in a position to prove myself and that he still needed some kind of proof of my identity. However, he did stand up for me when some of the advisors tried to tag me as a spy for Tirol."

"A spy?" cried Ahiru and Rue.

"How could they? What an insult," growled Rue.

"Mythos, a spy? Never!" cried Ahiru.

Mythos raised his hand calmly to silent their protests. "It does not matter. The King has given me his support and that is all that is important. The identity of the spy, however, remains unknown. All we know is that it had to have been one of the King's most trusted advisors."

"Or someone in that room," added Fakir.

Rue sat back in her chair, staring off in to space intently, thinking very hard.

"Oh yeah! I almost forgot, a message came for you while you were away," Ahiru said brightly. She handed Mythos the small piece of paper. He read it then smiled and stood up.

"I suppose that was the entire break we'll get. The Professor wants to meet my friends; he requests that you be brought down as soon as possible."

Fakir grumbled as he got back on his feet but made no verbal complaints. Ahiru bounced up, accidentally hitting the coffee table and spilling her tea cup. Rue glanced up at Mythos, her face still tough from concentration. "Mythos, did he request that I come down by name?"

"No, he did not, why?"

"I think I'll stay up here, there are a few things I need to attend to."

Mythos nodded then motioned for Fakir and Ahiru to follow him out the door held open by men in blue uniforms.

* * *

Mythos knocked on the cast iron door three times. He waited silently until a rough voice with an age-enhanced vibrato cried out, "Yes, yes, come in already! If you wait out there any longer I might die before you get in here."

Mythos laughed to himself and opened the door for Fakir and Ahiru to step inside.

"Greetings, professor," he said. "I hope you've been well."

"Well at my age means you're your heart is still pumping and your back doesn't hurt enough to kill you," he replied brightly. He was moving around odd glistening objects on his desk while consulting a large tome propped up by other books. "Now what are you here for? And who are these people?"

"These are my friends from Kinkad Town, Fakir and Ahiru," Mythos answered smoothly. "You sent a note asking me to bring them hear so you could meet them."

"Send you a note, did I? Ask you to meet your friends, did I?" The old man shrugged a little and put down the magnifying glass in his hand. "I suppose that's a likely enough story. Please, come, come! Sit down all of you. Tell me all about yourselves! Not that I'll remember in an hours time. I'm older than dirt, you know."

Ahiru's eyes bulged opened and turned to Fakir in wonder. He merely shook his head and she looked back down, disappointed.

"According to the story, Fakir was my knight and closest fried. Ahiru was Princess Tutu, who I have told you about before," explained Mythos.

"A knight and a ballerina," repeated Professor Krinkle. "Forgive me, but I am very old and I've heard a lot of seemingly crazy things in my time, but this story you were in still amazes me."

"They are both ballet dancers. They were my classmates at Kinkad Academy for the Fine Arts," said Mythos.

"Mythos and Fakir are fantastic ballet dancers," said Ahiru. "They were both in the advanced class. I was just in the intermediary class. I'm actually a very bad dancer, but when I was Princess Tutu I could dance as well as them."

"I see," said Professor Krinkle. "This is indeed a very strange spell. Who did you say was the sorcerer?"

"A children's book writer named Dosselmeyer," replied Mythos.

"Dosselmeyer? But he died years ago. I used to read his books to my nephews when they were little. He was very popular a while back among the children, but the stories always ended poorly in my opinion. He was one for tragedies, that author."

"It was the same man. His power made every story he wrote become real."

"Every story? Became real? Was he aware of his own power?"

"Yes, he was aware," replied Fakir. "In the end, when he was no longer able to write, he used a machine to write his stories for him. It seems that he designed everything so that he could com back as a character is his own book so he could finish the story and avoid death."

"How ingenious! What a marvelous idea! Though you would think that if he knew his stories were going to be real that he would give them better endings." The old scientist's entire face glowed with fascination. Years seemed to drop from his figure and new found energy radiated out of him. "But please, do go on. This power, what were the limitations? The power to make stories come true, what wonders you could do!" Professor Krinkle marveled at the idea.

Mythos gestured to Fakir. "I do not know the answer to your questions but Fakir might. He knows much more about Dosselmeyer then I do."

The professor turned on Fakir. "Ah, do you now? Well, well, let's hear it then. Speak up, speak up. Don't be shy."

Mythos turned to Fakir. "Please, tell him everything. He is within my confidence. Hold nothing back, especially for my account." Fakir nodded and considered what to say.

"What Mythos is too polite to say is that I am a descendent of Dosselmeyer and that I have in fact inherited the same power as him."

Professor Krinkle stared at Fakir in shock. His eyes scrutinized him with all their power of intellect and analysis. He took in his youth, his slight but athletic frame, and his arrogant stances. The light that radiated from his eyes upon hearing of Dosselmeyer's power dimmed and it was a very serious voice from a experienced old man that said, "If you do not mind, my prince, allow me to question this boy. There are many things I wish to speak with him about before I can be satisfied."

Mythos nodded and placed his hand on Ahiru's shoulder. Ahiru looked from Mythos to Fakir with a concerned expression but followed Mythos out the door without a word.

"Boy, please come closer and sit down in front of me," said Professor Krinkle, motioning to a chair in front of his cluttered desk. "My eyes are not what they used to be. Getting old is a terrible ordeal. I suggest you avoid it if you can."

* * *

In the hallway, Ahiru was left alone with Mythos. He was very different from the heartless, apathetic boy she had first met. He now stood regally in his navy blue uniform. His face was composed and serious but his expression was gentle as he asked her "How have you been in Kinkad Town? I left so quickly with the general that I didn't get to give you a proper good-bye. I apologize."

Ahiru blushed and clasped her hands together in front of her.

"I've been well. Fakir and I went back to the academy to continue our dance studies. I got to see my friends again. It's much different there now. We have a new teacher and everyone is human. I miss Neko-sensei though."

"He was a great teacher," agreed Mythos. "I learned a lot from him. I truly enjoyed studying ballet with Fakir, Rue, and you. I miss the ballet school. Everything was much simpler there." Mythos's face was clouded and worried.

Ahiru asked in a concerned voice, "Are you alright, Mythos? Is there something troubling you?"

Mythos's face changed to a calm regal mask quickly. "Yes, I'm fine, it's nothing. I hope Fakir is okay alone with the Professor. There are times he can be easily aggravated."

"I see." Ahiru continued to watch Mythos's face. He didn't seem unhappy but she could sense his emotions stirring within him.

Those are emotions that I gave back to him, she thought. This is a whole and complete Mythos.

"Hey, smile, will you?" Ahiru blurted out. Immediately she was embarrassed but she couldn't stop the words now.

Mythos looked at her in surprise.

"It's just," Ahiru stuttered, "I want to see you happy. Back then, when I first saw you, you looked so sad all the time. That was because you had no heart to feel anything, but now it has all been returned to you. I don't want to see you sad anymore."

Mythos smiled at her then. It was a sweet smile, just like Ahiru had always imagined. He's such a beautiful person, she thought. He belongs with Rue, but still, my feelings…

"I'm sorry, Ahiru. When I left so suddenly I didn't even get to tell you how grateful I am to you. You saved me, Ahiru, or rather I should say Princess Tutu."

"No, it was Rue who broke the spell. I was just helping her get to you."

"You are a very selfless person, Ahiru. Thank you, very much, for returning my heart to me. If there is anyway I can repay you, please let me know. I am deeply in your debt."

"You don't have to say that, I did it because I wanted to. I just wanted to see all my friends happy. I wanted to see you happy."

"Please tell me what I can do to show you my gratitude. You can ask anything of me."

Ahiru thought for a second. "Anything?"

Mythos smiled and nodded.

"There is… one thing I would like from you."

"Name it," said Mythos, "and it will be yours."

"I want you to listen. I have something very important to tell you."

* * *

Fakir sat down, alert and prepared for an interrogation. Professor Krinkle toppled down into his large leather chair and pulled out a fresh scrap of paper and a quill. He jotted down notes and numbers with such intense concentration and speed that Fakir began to wonder if he had been forgotten already. However, the professor barked out his first question without looking up, catching Fakir by surprise.

"Please describe this power of yours in full with as much detail as you can manage."

Fakir replied," My power makes any story I write become true."

Professor Krinkle looked up annoyed. "Yes, you said that already. But what are the rules? The limitations?"

"I don't understand what you mean," said Fakir.

"Must the story be written down? If you tell someone a story orally, will it have the same effect?"

"I believe it must be written. The only stories that came true for me were written by pen and paper. I doubt I could do it any other way."

Professor Krinkle nodded then continued, "Does it have to be in the form of a story?"

"What?"

"Does everything you write become true or is it only your stories?"

Fakir considered this for a second. "Only my stories become true. I have sometimes answered questions incorrectly on written exams and my power does not make those false facts become true."

"What is your range?"

"My what?" asked Fakir confused.

"How many people can you control? Can you only control small groups at a time or can you influence an entire nation?" Professor Krinkle scribbled more notes on his scrap of paper.

"I suppose it would depend what the story was about," answered Fakir without confidence. He had never considered these details.

Professor Krinkle looked up puzzeled. "I wonder why Dosselmeyer's influence stayed only in Kinkad Town. I wonder if that town was the limit of his power."

"I really don't know. I'm sure that whatever his range was is the same as mine. I might be slightly weaker, however."

"Can you create people, like an author creates a character?"

"No," Fakir answered with more certainty. "I can only influence people or things that already exist. My power relies completely on manipulating reality, it doesn't create anything."

Professor Krinkle considered this for a while. He grew silent and started to scribble on the scrap of paper again. As he ran out of room to write on the scrap, he reached for a large book and opened it to a dog-earred page. Fakir strained his neck to see what the professor was looking at in the book but before he could figure it out Professor Krinkle was asking him more questions.

"Can you change a person's form or alter them physically? For example, could you switch an individual's gender?"

"Yes, but I haven't tried to do it, nor could I think of any reason why I should want to. In Kinkad Town, however, a person changing into animals or animals becoming people was very commonplace. Many of my classmates and teachers at the academy were cats, alligators, or bears."

"Fascinating! And this wasn't considered odd by anyone?"

Fakir felt embarrassed by the question but answered, "It seemed perfectly natural at the time. I didn't really think about it."

The professor stroked his chin then asked, "So when animals are turned into humans, do they still behave as the animal they were?"

"Not really. They become normal people who have certain characteristics of that animal." He thought of Ahiru. "Or, normal by Kinkad Town standards, or, really, just strange."

* * *

"What do you want to tell me?" asked Mythos, genuinely curious.

"I… that is… I did," Ahiru stuttered. She took a deep breath and stared down at the carpet. She know if she looked Mythos in the face everything would be lost. She forced herself to continue.

"When I was Princess Tutu, I rescued your heart and fought for you because I felt it was the right thing to do but as I worker harder and harder, I felt something change within myself. When I started, I just thought it was so awful to see such a beautiful person so sad. I wanted to see your smile and your other expressions. That's why I chose to become Princess Tutu but as I collected more and more pieces of your heart, I realized there was another force at work. I couldn't stop myself, even though I knew I was doomed for a tragic end if I fulfilled my role to you. I'm not ashamed of what I did or why I did it, but when you asked me, as Princess Tutu, how I felt towards you, I couldn't answer. I knew in my heart what the answer was but I could never bring myself to say it aloud."

"What are you saying," Mythos asked.

"As Princess Tutu, and as myself, I fell in love with you. If Rue had not cried out in the last battle, I would have sacrificed myself in order to save you. That was the depth of my love."

"Ahiru…" Mythos started.

"But now it is all over and the spell has been broken. I don't know why I stayed a human, but I am grateful because it means that I can now tell you my true feelings. Please, I beg you, accept my feelings!" The entire time Ahiru spoke, she stared down at the floor and clenched her hands together.

There was a silence for a few moments that felt like hours to Ahiru. Then she felt a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"Ahiru." She raised her eyes to meet Mythos's and felt her heart break open in two.

"I am truly grateful to you, Ahiru. You have been one of my greatest friends in my darkest hour. You will always have a place in my heart." Mythos smiled so sadly, Ahiru couldn't bear to look at him anymore.

"I am grateful, and I do accept your feelings and thank you for them. To be loved that much by such a pure heart as yours is a true honor. However, I can not return your feelings. I have already made my choice. Please understand."

"I do," said Ahiru, a tear escaping her eye. "I do understand. You and Rue are meant to be together. I knew that. You always looked so wonderful together. You are a beautiful couple, but I can't stop these feelings I have for you. I don't know if I can ever stop them."

"I'm so sorry Ahiru," murmured Mythos as he pulled her closer. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders and held her to him. "You deserve a love to match your own and so much more. I am sorry I can not be the one to give you that. Perhaps if…" He released her and stepped back. "What is done is done. I do care for you, Ahiru, but we can only be friends. I am very sorry."

Tears began to roll down Ahiru's cheeks. Her heart felt like it had be shattered. Her shoulders began to shake with her silent sobs.

"Please, come back upstairs with me. Rue is waiting for us. I know she wants to see you."

"No," Ahiru managed to say through her tears. "I'll wait here for Fakir. I'm worried about him. I'm going to stay here. Please go up without me."

Mythos nodded and pulled out a handkerchief. He place it in her hands and whispered, "Please be okay, Ahriu." He turned and walked away.

Ahiru was left alone outside the large ornate door, crying uncontrollably, not daring to use the handkerchief, lest it got wet or dirty.

* * *

"Can you create love?"

The question caught Fakir off guard again.

"I suppose. That would be very cruel. The effect would only last as long as the story however. When I wrote, I tried to keep people's emotions as close to what they already were as possible."

"Or how you perceived their emotions to be, since you obviously could not know the depth or color of your character's feelings," the professor argued.

"No, I made sure I was intentionally vague when it came to feelings. I would use phrases like 'as they already knew' or 'what they knew to be true'."

"Isn't that dangerous?"

"What do you mean?" demanded Fakir.

"You guide people through a story without letting them develop or grow through the experience. No matter what they did, they would still be the same person as before."

"I assumed that later reflections would be sufficient to build character," Fakir argued.

"So your characters can not grow till after the story is complete. Interesting. Does it work when you do it this way?"  
"I don't know," admitted Fakir. "I haven't written many stories."

"Could we try a few experiments? In controlled conditions, of course."

"No," Fakir yelled. "Absolutely not. This power shouldn't even exist.

"But then how will we know what is safe and what is not? Your powers might express themselves in channels you haven't thought of or having lasting repercussions now that you have used them.

"I will not use this power again. I have promised myself and my friends."

"If you were to practice your power and learn it well you could be of great use to your friends," reasoned the professor. "For example, you could return the Prince's lost memories, or even end this ridiculous war."

"No it's too dangerous. I can't allow this. We just had our own battle where we fought a power like mine which was out of control."

Professor Krinkle observed Fakir's stubborn expression and snapped his book closed. He looked very tired all of a sudden as he rubbed the bridge of his nose with his thumb and pointer finger.

"I see there is no convincing you, but please consider all the good you could do. I will be ever willing to help you experiment and learn your power better. Please reconsider…"

"This is enough. I won't listen to this." Fakir stood up and left the room slamming the door behind him, leaving the professor to stare after him sadly. He was so angry he couldn't see straight but the sight of Ahiru's crying face shocked him into forgetting his anger for the moment.

"Wha-what's going on? What happened?" Fakir demanded, dumbfounded. "It's nothing. I just stubbed my toe on a sharp edged. You know me," Ahiru tried to smile through her tears. "I'm terribly clumsy."

"Good lord, Ahiru," Fakir growled, relaxing back into his anger. "Try to be more careful next time." He turned and walked down the hall. She followed behind him mutely.

* * *

Author's note: Yes, yes I know. Spelling errors. I'm trying to find a reliable beta-reader still. When I find one, I'll go through fix everything up. In the meanwhile, just try to interpret what you think I mean to say. I really was just going to go on to the next part of the story but Rue's been kicking and screaming for her own character arch so y'all are going to have to sit through that all next chapter. Don't blame me, blame Rue. She was very persistent.


End file.
